Save the world, save yourself
by Trueloves Gutter
Summary: Post season 4. Peter starts to worry that Sylar may slip back into his old ways so he takes Sylar to the future to show him what his life could be like if he stays on the right path. Just a bit of fluffy Sylaire really. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Heroes or any of it's characters.

**Background**: Set post season 4. Peter gets a little worried that Sylar may be struggling to stay on the right path and so decides to take him in to the future and show him what could be if he doesn't give in to temptation and go back to his old ways. Rated M for later chapters. This is utter Sylaire by the way!

**Chapter 1**

Sylar woke with a start, his whole body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. His surroundings familiar and strange all at the same time. He was in bed, the light was dimming outside, it was either dawn or dusk, he wasn't sure which. Sitting upright he surveyed his surroundings, he wasn't in his apartment.._.where the hell was he?_ He searched his memory for how he got here but his recollection was hazy. None of this made sense, the last thing he recalled clearly was falling in to his own uncomfortable ill fitting bed, in his own dingy and foreboding apartment. He now found he was in a comfortable king size bed, the linen was clean and fresh, embroidered with a pattern that could have only been chosen by a woman, he surmised.

Panic rose in his chest as he heard a door slam shut down stairs, whoever this house belonged to - _they were home_. Footsteps padded up the stairs. Noting that he was absolutely naked he opted to stay under the sheets, if he had to use his powers against a complete stranger in their own home, he could at least do it with a shred of modesty.

Preparing himself for a stand off his eyes fixed on the doorway, he couldn't hide his astonishment as none other than Claire Bennett stood before him, all 5ft of her, clad entirely in a well tailored black suit that flattered every delicious curve. Had she done something to her hair? The blonde was darker and her tresses were neatly pinned back high on her head.

Ready for the oncoming storm he tensed for a split second, anticipating the barrage of abuse she would unleash upon him finding him naked in her bed. What she did next utterly threw him; her face lit up in to a beaming smile as she raced towards the bed and flung herself on him, the power of her tiny frame knocking him backwards in to the pillows.

"You're back!"

She squealed like a little girl although there was an air of womanhood about her that he had never noticed before.

"I thought you guys wouldn't be done until tomorrow? Did you manage to get that sadistic son of a bitch all tied up early?"

She spoke barely pausing for breath, her face hovering right over his.

"I guess" he answered trying not to sound too perplexed.

"You're just too good hu?"

She cocked her head to one side and giggled bringing herself further forward to plant a full and firm kiss on his lips, unable to stop himself from responding his arms reached up to encircle her waist. His lips parted willingly as she sneaked her toung against his teeth. Soon he found himself clinging on to her as though his life depended on it. The hunger he had grown so used to but had never been able to overcome seemed to be dying away as Claire's dainty hands ran through his hair. Through no control of his own his hips bucked up to her and his arms pressed her down on his growing arousal. She gave a frustrated moan breaking their kiss.

_What was this? Some cruel joke? Send the cheerleader in to break down his defences?_

But no. She looked genuinely displeased, her lips swollen and her heavy lidded eyes alight with lust,

"Baby," she stroked her hand against the stubble on his chin, "I would love to do this right now, but I need to go get Noah from Pete and Emma's, I can't be late, they've been so good picking him up from school for us" she sighed disappointed.

There it was, the f**king bomb to end all bombs! _Who the hell is Noah?_ Sure as hell wasn't that horned rimmed freak Claire called Dad, not if he was at school age? Words failed him; he just stared back up at her aghast.

"Oh don't be mad" Claire pleaded.

_She should know this wasn't mad, Good Lord she had seen him mad and this wasn't it! This was totally 100% confused!_

"I'll make it up to you later, you'll see!"

This time she kissed his neck, nibbling at the skin just beneath his ear, as though she knew it would get her forgiveness, as though she'd done it many many times before.

"Mmm..ok" was all he managed in response.

He noted a strong pang of regret as Claire got up off of him, straightened out her suit and reached for her bag. She got to the door and looked back

"Did you get a haircut in Japan? It feels shorter?" she raised a well manicured finger to his hair. Noticing she was waiting for a response Sylar lifted his hand running it through his recently trimmed locks.

"Oh yeah, was starting to look shabby" he shrugged.

"Aww" she hung on to the door frame, shooting him a smile that held such warmth his breath caught in his throat. "Maybe I like shabby" she teased and with that she blew him a kiss and made her way down stairs.

Hearing the click of the door he hurried to the wardrobe to be faced with rows of shirts, they were set out exactly as he would set them out, organised by colour and folded neatly. Pulling on a pair of jeans and black wife beater vest he decided to explore his surroundings. He counted three bedrooms and a bathroom. It was by no means large but it was homely, full of sweet little touches that told of a loving family. Toys were scattered intermittently down the stairs. This would have normally irritated him greatly but he couldn't bring himself to be angry. It was all too intriguing. His eyes wondered to a photo in a frame by the telephone. It showed a little boy in his pyjamas surrounded by Christmas wrapping paper and new toys, he was beaming from ear to ear holding on to the handle bars of a new bike. He couldn't have been more than four, with a flock of brown hair and deep set brown eyes; he was beautiful.

"He got your eyebrows poor little guy.."

Sylar nearly dropped the frame, startled by the familiar voice that came from behind him.

"Peter?"

Sylar boomed setting the frame back on the table beside him.

"Care to tell me what the hell is going on here Patrelli, why am I shacked up with the cheerleader?"

His nostrils flared as he raised an accusing finger in Peter's direction. Sylar looked on with dismay as Peter threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"Oh man, do not let her catch you calling her that, she's small but you know she could kick your ass" he leaned over and picked up a newspaper from the telephone table.

"What?" Sylars brows knitted in confusion. Wishing Peter would just explain already.

"I had to bring you here, had to show you what you could have, what_ is_ going to be if you carry on the right path. If you let us help you."

There was a silence between them as Sylar tried to piece together what he was being told.

"Oh please Patrelli, quit the ghost of Christmas future crap... did you really think I'd fall for this?"

Without a moment's pause Peter handed him the newspaper, rolling his eyes as though he was expecting Sylars scepticism.

"Look at the date"

He waited patiently digging his hands deep in his pockets as Sylar gawked at the newspaper in his hands; November 7th 2019. Peter leaned forward grinning wildly.

"I borrowed Hiro's power of time travel, you seemed a little out of sorts recently, thought you might need a nudge in the right direction." Peter smiled, ever the boy scout.

"What? So I stay with you, help you catch bad guys and Claire just falls in to my arms?"

Sylar scoffed unwilling to believe this future could be his. Looking far too pleased with himself Peter rolled his eyes once more, relishing being the powerful one for once.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that...you two didn't have the easiest of starts. But what can I say? My niece is a complicated woman...and you always loved a challenge. What you still don't believe me? You're the human lie detector; am I lying _Gabriel_?"

Peter's eyebrows leapt up to his forehead willing Sylar to believe him. For once in his life Sylar was rendered speechless. Lie detection was one of his most potent powers, not to mention one of his favourites and Patrelli wasn't lying.

"So I have a family?"

Sylar gestured to the picture of the little boy holding on to his new bicycle. Shooting him that trademark crooked grin Peter nodded

"Sure, you, Claire and little Noah, you weren't that keen on the name but Claire got her way".

Pinning the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger Sylar gave a nervous smile. For the first time in years he was scared, scared that once he actually allowed himself to believe what he was being told that he would be able to think of nothing else.

"You have ..." Peter paused raising his wrist to look at his watch, "about 24 hours until you... the future you gets back from Japan, then I'll have to take you back".

"So what do I do until then?" Sylar asked honestly his deep brown eyes wide and pleading.

Peter shrugged his shoulders, "Enjoy your family dude, hang out with your son, annoy your wife...oh and in 5 years when you find yourself saving a bunch of people from some super-powered nut job in Japan, you'd better remember to get a haircut or we're sprung!"

Peter spun on his heels and hotfooted it out of the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire returned home, throwing her car keys in a bowl by the door, she was quickly followed by what could only be described as the force of nature that was Noah Grey.

"Daaaaaadddddddy!"

Just like his mother had done earlier the little boy raced up to Sylar, all but knocking him off his feet. Instinctively he scooped the child up in to his arms. He couldn't recall the last time someone was this pleased to see him. Instantly the little boy started chatting away as though he were his best buddy.

"The op...optic" his little face creased as he tried to remember the word correctly, "Optician said that I have to get glasses Dad..."

Innocently he pointed to his eyes

"...Michael said that I'd look like a dork" the boy paused, resting his elbow on Sylars shoulder and placing his chin in his hand, a strangely grown up gesture for one so young.

Soon they were sat around the dinner table eating some simple but surprisingly delicious pasta dish that Claire had rustled up in hardly any time at all. The atmosphere wasn't solemn and oppressive like the family dinners of Sylars childhood had been. Noah giggled as Claire tried to come up with a list of,"Cool people throughout history who wore glasses". He quickly dismissed Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and John Lennon.

"I had glasses when I was your age"

Sylar piped up and Claire gave him a grateful look across the dinner table. To his astonishment this seemed to placate the boy. Noah was clearly still of the age where his Dad was still the coolest guy on the planet to him.

Claire cleared the table as Noah dragged Sylar up to his room to finish off a story that he had apparently been reading to Noah every night before he had to leave for Japan. The concept of reading a story out loud seemed alien to him at first but he found he could not disappoint the little boy, not when he looked up at him with those big expectant brown eyes that were so much like his own. He had barely cleared a few chapters before Noah was sleeping soundly beside him.

The house was silent but for the occasional clang of crockery as Claire cleared the dishes downstairs. This was the first chance he had been given to take in his surroundings. It was all so surreal. _Was this really what he wanted?_ Looking down at Noah peacefully zzz'ing away it sure as hell felt like it.

But could it really happen? Claire Bennett _hates_ Sylar. She had promised to hate him forever and yet the sleeping little boy before him rather contradicted that. He was very much his father's son, from the tips of his long sprawling toes to the masses of thick brown hair on his head and the curve of his nose but there were hints of Claire too. His skin was naturally tanned and even in his sleep his jaw was set in that determined and defiant manner that was quintessentially,"Claire". He was the perfect mix of the two of them. His powers probably hadn't manifested yet but no doubt he wouldn't need those glasses for too long.


	3. Chapter 3

Making his way out of Noah's room he heard the water running in the bathroom, Claire had evidently decided to take a bubble bath. Quickly he made his way across the landing to the stairs.

"Hey!" Claire's voice rang out with mock anger as he passed the bathroom door. Noticing the door was ajar he wondered what the protocol was for this situation. Gingerly he hovered outside the bathroom door, "Hey..." he dug his hands deep into his jeans pockets.

"Is he asleep? " Claire cooed.

"Yeah, out like a light" Sylar shrugged speaking into the wood grain of the door.

"Typical! Two weeks of me chasing him around the house until he falls asleep on his feet and Daddy comes home and it's like switching off a light!"

He heard her splash around slightly in the water.

"I guess you've either got it or you haven't " He grinned drumming his fingers lightly against the wood.

"Yer right! That's you on bedtime duty until he's sixteen then!"

Sylar could only sigh at her remark; he wouldn't mind that one bit. He paused for a moment realising that somehow he was a little jealous of his future self.

"Honey why are you stood out in the hallway like a freak? Come in already!"

Swallowing hard as though to compose himself, he couldn't help but feel like a fraud. This woman thought he was her husband; he _was_ her husband, just not quite yet. Was he really going to do this? Go sit in the bathroom as Claire Bennett took a bath? Of all the strange and surreal things he had ever encountered he never thought he would be faced with this particular scenario.

"Gabe...what's wrong?" she prompted, his silence must have seemed strange to her.

"Err, nothing! Sorry, just thought I heard Noah that's all" he fidgeted on his feet, still unsure about stepping into the bathroom.

"You know him, once he's out he's out! Come on in would you, I've not seen you in like two weeks!" Claire's voice was insistent.

This was it; he'd have to do it. Feeling like he was about to jump off a cliff he took a deep cleansing breath and entered the bathroom.

And there she was, her hair was still up but small curls had escaped and framed her beautiful make-up free face. The bathroom was dark save for a few scented candles she had lit about the place. He thanked whatever God he was preaching to these days that she was covered almost head to toe with bubbles and only her tanned damp shoulders were visible.

"So you wanna join me?" She asked kicking a toned slender leg out of the water in a playful gesture. His breath caught in his throat at the thought of what she was insinuating.

"Oh...errr.. I don't think there's room for me in there Claire" his voice was shaky as he tried to cross his legs to hide the effect she was having on him.

Claire gazed at him with a sultry smile,"It's never stopped us before has it?"

_Hasn't it? Great another thing to hate his future self for, bubble baths with Claire Bennett! _

Sensing his hesitance Claire's face fell into a frown, "What's wrong with you?" she asked returning her leg to the water with a frustrated huff, "You're being weird. Have I done something wrong?"

He found that the look of hurt on her face nearly broke his heart.

"No, no of course you haven't. It's just been a long few days that's all...I'm still jet lagged." he tried to reassure her just wishing that he could come clean about this whole situation. His fear that she would turn him away if she knew the truth was the only thing stopping him from doing just that.

Claire nodded in acknowledgement of his explanation but the look of sad dejection didn't move from her features. Resigning himself to his fate he felt a warm smile creep over his face, he'd not smiled that genuinely in years.

"Ok, budge up!" he sighed,tugging his vest over his head in one fluid movement.

He soon found himself chest deep in bubbles. Claire had somehow wrapped her arms and legs around him so that she was holding him completely and the back of his head rested perfectly on her collar bone. He had never felt so helpless or contented in his whole life.

"Claire" his voice was full of curiosity as he watched her delicate fingers making idol patterns in his damp chest hair.

"Hmmm?" her fingers never faltered.

"When did you start loving me?" Sylar instantly felt her head lift up questioningly and he wondered if perhaps this was the entirely wrong thing to ask.

"I'm sure I have told you this story before Gabriel...you're just fishing for compliments!" she chuckled and nipped his shoulder lightly with her teeth.

Relieved he grinned, "AM NOT!"

"YOU ARE TOO!" Claire smacked at the water to punctuate her words. Capturing her hands in his own and holding them still on his chest he continued.

"Tell me again...please? Humour me?" he looked up at her, craning his neck round and hoping that his puppydog eyes would get him his way.

Claire sighed heavily letting her head drop to place a kiss between his shoulder and his neck. This simple act of affection sent a shiver through him.

"Ok, ok...where shall I begin?" she teased, he could feel her grinning against his wet shoulder.

"Well, I was trying my best to hate you like I promised I always would. Even when Peter had forgiven you and you guys were flatmates I still didn't want to admit that I liked you. Occasionally you would try to do something nice for me and I would be a total bitch and throw it back in your face like a spoilt brat."

He felt the flicker of her eyelashes against his ear as she wound her arms around him just a little tighter.

Ever impatient Sylar couldn't resist prompting her further.

"So what changed your mind?"

"That day, the company finally got to you." her tone changed instantly, she was more sombre now, "You'd not been _Sylar_ in two years or more and yet they still couldn't leave you be. You'd proven you had changed, you saved everyone and still they hounded you. Even though there were villains with abilities cropping up all over the place, you were the prize. Everyone wanted to bag and tag _Sylar_. They shot you full off the new antidote and pumped you full of bullets"

Claire spat out the words that were still so full of bitterness and anger that the emotion just seemed to radiate off of her. Instinctively he held tightly to her hand, offering his comfort for whatever good it might do.

"When Peter and I got to you, you were dead. I couldn't believe it at first, I beat my fists on your chest, cursed at you and told you to quit playing. Ordered you to wake up. But, there was nothing, for so long...just nothing. Peter tried to drag me away, but I clung on to you and begged you to come back. To my great surprise I felt like the my heart had been ripped out, it was the first real pain I'd felt in years. Eventually I just collapsed down on to you and told you I loved you. Told you that you had to come back because I loved you."

He didn't need superpowers or extrasensory perception to know she might just burst into tears any second now. There was a pang of guilt as he considered maybe he shouldn't have pushed the issue. He had one night with her, for the next few years at least and already he had made her cry. _Some husband._

"...and then..."

Claire composed herself.

"...and then you woke up"

Thank God, she was smiling again, laughing almost.

"The first words you uttered to me were,"_You meant it_" ...you jerk!" she chuckled slightly beneath him at the memory of it.

"Even when you were half dead and barely conscious you were checking that I wasn't lying to you...unbelievable"

He kissed the back of her hand momentarily, "I can't switch it off, it's just there all the time" he spoke in barely more than a whisper.

"I know baby, I was just kidding." she kissed his neck once more; if he wasn't mistaken he would never tire of that.

"Must have been scary, thinking you were the only immortal person left in the world" Sylar mused.

"No, wasn't that.I mean eternity alone would suck...but it wasn't that. I was scared I'd lost you. Just you."

Sylar tried to stifle the broad grin that threatened to spread across his face.

"What?" Claire nudged his ribs playfully.

"Nothing...just _you meant it_"


	4. Chapter 4

He opted to stay hidden by the now dwindling bubbles as Claire got out of the tub and dried herself off. He couldn't help himself, he knew he was staring at her like a horny school boy but his eyes refused to leave her. He mapped out every curve up her well toned calves and thighs to the delicate dip of her navel. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen and she always would be. Claire _Grey_ would never age or lose her shine, her mind would age and she would gain wisdom in her years but her beauty would never dim with age. He found that the hunger he had so struggled to get away from had now been replaced by a new more potent need; The need to take Claire and make her his.

"Are you gonna stay in there all night? You'll prune. And what's with the staring?" Claire shook her head as though she just couldn't fathom him tonight.

"Can't a man admire his wife?" there was now mischief in his tone.

"Sure he can, but why look when you can touch hu?" with that she threw his a towel and exited the room, a look of sly amusement on her face.

This was it...Claire Bennett just propositioned him. He found he had bitten down so hard on his lip at her flippant remark that a flash of metallic flavour flooded his mouth briefly before his heeling ability kicked in and fixed him.

Claire had left him stood alone in the bathroom. Glaring at himself in the mirror he scolded himself for the insecurities that despite everything, he was still racked with.

_"You can move objects with your mind, shoot electricity from your finger tips and you are gifted with telepathy...how hard can it be...just go and blow her mind! "_

Done with his little peptalk he stalked out of the bathroom determined to do just that.

Claire sat at her dressing table. Her hair finally loose from it's confines she caught sight of him in the mirror behind her. Without a word he closed the door with a mere flick of his fingers. This gesture earned him a smirk from Claire.

"Show off!"

"Oh if you think that's good you should see what else I can do" he had meant that to sound playful and light hearted but his eyes were serious.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You haven't looked at me that way in ...years?" Claire narrowed those devastating green eyes of hers in suspicion.

"Like what?" he moved closer, the look on his face was one of foreboding.

"Like I'm prey" she averted her eyes as though her mind was taking her somewhere she didn't want to go.

The laugh that rumbled from his throat was low and menacing. The girl that Claire Bennett _was_ would have cowered at that sound but the woman in front of him seemed excited by it, aroused even. A flush of colour swept over her cheeks and her hand ran up her own smooth leg to her thigh.

"So Mr Grey..." Claire shimmied over to him placing her hands over his bare chest,"...what else _can_ you do?"

In bare feet she had to stand on her tip toes to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck she hit him with a kiss that seemed to go straight to the very core of him. Her toung delved deep into his mouth in an act that seemed to signify sex itself.

Without warning he threw her back on to the bed with a simple thrust of his hand, she propped herself up on her elbows and shot him a disgruntled look,"Play fair Gabriel" she whined. He began to plant kiss after kiss from her ankles up to her thigh. Claire threw her head back and revelled in the sensations he was creating. His stubble was rough against her delicate skin and the higher he got the more she was sure she might combust at any moment. Pausing just before the apex of her thighs he smirked up at her.

"Still want me to play fair babydoll?" his voice mocked her but she was in no mood to be teased.

"Play it any way you want honey, but don't you dare stop!" with that she seized a fist full of his hair and lead him back to where she wanted him. Determined to make an impression, _this was technically his first time with her even if she didn't know it. _He pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and held on to her hips, splaying out his fingers to hold her in place before positively devouring her. Letting his toung probe every inch of her, almost biting her, grazing his teeth along her sensitive flesh. He knew he should take his time teasing her, running his toung up and down her sex in order to heighten the pleasure but the need to dominate her and hear her scream was too much.

"Oh my G..od Gabriel..." already she was writhing beneath him and he had barely gotten started. He loosened his grip on her hips to free one of his hands. He brought two fingers to her tight entrance, feeling her breath catch as he slid them inside her. He let his eyes wonder up her perfect body as he licked a steady rhythm over her clit. Claires eyes were closed, her jaw slack and the hand that wasn't tangled in his hair was gripping savagely at the bed sheets.

Unable to resist taking advantage of her weakened state he worked his way back up her body, his fingers still pumping in and out of her making her pant with every impact. He propped himself up above her with his free hand and looked into her now lust filled eyes.

"Did you miss me Claire?"

Her eyes flickered as she tried to regain the power of speech.

"So...so much" she whimpered and he rewarded her truthfulness by letting his thumb circle the now very alert bundle of nerves between her thighs.

"Do you do this to yourself when I'm gone?" he asked, whispering into her ear.

She nodded fervently in response.

"What do you think about when you touch yourself Claire?" he didn't know why he was asking such questions, knowing he would feel rotten and rejected if she told him she thought of him and his lie detector went off. Why was he so hell bent on self destruction?

"You..." was her only answer, he voice was hardly more than a breathless moan now but it was a definite answer and he wanted for that familiar tingle to tell him of her dishonesty but it never came. Pleased with his victory he quickened his pace until he was thrusting his fingers in and out of her with little finesse, still this seemed to please Claire no end as she was now panting hard on his neck. He treasured every little erotic sound he drew from her, noting them down to his memory for replay later.

"What do you think about?" he realised his own voice was now ragged, his arousal almost unbearable beneath the towel that was still secured around his waist.

Her eyes were pleading, she was so close. Words seemed like such an impossible task for her at that moment. But Sylar was a hard task master and he wasn't going to make this easy for her._ It wasn't about making it easy; it was about making it good._

"Tell me" he demanded once more.

"I think about us. Remember that road trip we took? We'd only just gotten together and we booked out that nasty motel room? The people in the rooms either side of us complained because of the noise we made. All night long...I had no idea sex could be so good. Sex so amazing, you still want to do it even though you're sore and exhausted."

Of course he had no recollection of that night, but he was sure as hell looking forward to that road trip.

Claires demeanour hand now taken on a new air of urgency, she sucked and bit at his neck and the noises she made were almost feral. Pulling his ear to her lips she begged,"I need you. Gabriel, just fuck me now?"

He so wanted to oblige her request, his cock twitching at her words, but drawing this out would be all the sweeter.

"Not yet babydoll. You're going to come on my fingers first"

Claires eyes shot open outraged,"Please! I want...you!" her finger nails clawed at his biceps.

Almost cruelly, he chuckled at her pleas. His fingers relentlessly pumped in and out of her, over and over until the sensation was all she could understand. The tell tale tightening in the pit of her stomach was increasing. He could feel her muscles were already coiling around his fingers.

"You're so close Claire" he murmured to her gently.

"Please Gabriel I need you...now" he always did love her steadfast determination.

Drunk on the power of having Claire Bennett beg him for sex his pace quickened even further, he was so rough that he surmised if she could have felt pain he would have most likely been hurting her by now.

"I'm not putting my dick inside you until you come..." he had never felt more of a sadistic bastard than right at that moment with Claires pleading eyes blazing in to him.

"I ...can't" she ground out through gritted teeth.

"Yes you can" Sylar spoke slow and clearly, his eyes focused staunchly on her face.

Taking pitty on her and sensing her frustration he ran his thumb over her clit causing her hips to jolt of their own accord.

"Just let it happen Claire, come on...that's it"

At that moment it was like electricity coursed through her body, her toes curled up tight and her head was back as a stream of jumbled profanities escaped her mouth.

"Oh fuck! Oh my Go-d. Gabriel! GABRIEL!"

For a moment Sylar couldn't comprehend the scene, here was Claire Bennett in the throws of ecstasy, his fingers still buried deep inside her and she was calling out his name,_ not Sylar_...his name. He didn't know why but that was all he needed. Removing his fingers he quickly positioned himself between her yawning thighs. Still fuzzy from the intense orgasm he had just ripped from her, Claire smiled lazily up at him and peppered kisses and lovebites up his neck.

"Stop teasing Gabe..." she chuckled reaching down between them to take a hold of his shaft and guide him to her slick entrance. The heat was radiating off of her and his reaction was primal. He thrust in to her with one solid movement. Feeling her teeth sink into his shoulder he considered he should have perhaps been a little more gentle but she was so exquisitely tight that his conscience couldn't bother him for long. It was as though his movements weren't his own, his hips ploughed in and out of her in a frantic rhythm. He realised he had been waiting for this, this completion for as long as he could remember.

Claires hands scratched down his back to his behind and encouraged him on. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his hips.

Taking her jaw in his hands he looked down at her perfect face," Who's are you Claire? Who do you belong to?" but she was too busy meeting his thrusts to answer.

"Baby, who's are you?" he prompted once more, running his thumb over her lips.

"I'm yours...I'm yours! I've always been yours!" Claire confessed as she bit down on his thumb as she came for a second time.

Seeing her fall apart for the second time, feeling her muscles tighten around him like a vice was too much and he felt his own climax begin.

"OH MY GOD CLAIRE!" he yelled in to the crook of her neck as he came inside her harder than he had ever thought possible. His last few thrusts making the headboard slam against the wall.

He lay trembling on top of her for a few blissful moments. Both of them regaining their breath, slick with sweat. Claire was still wrapped around him wonderfully and stroking her fingers comfortingly up and down his back. He had never felt such an utter feeling of belonging.

Claire was first to break the silence. "So did you miss me too?" she asked stroking a few strands of wet hair from his forehead that was now resting entirely on her chest.

"More than you could know"

Sylar had never been more honest in his whole life. The heart he had once thought non-existent threatened to break at the thought of having to leave her and their son in only a few hours.


	5. Chapter 5

His dreams were surprisingly peaceful, all of no real significance but not the usual troubled replays of his past crimes and childhood traumas. He found that occasionally he would wake up to find that Claire had contorted herself into some bizarre position, wrapping herself around him in her sleep. The last time when he woke he found her head resting on his chest, a mass of tousled blonde hair tickling his chin and her arms wrapped tightly round him. His eyes fell to the bedside alarm, it was 6am, how much longer did he have here? A few hours? Three tops. His stomach churned, it would be such a wrench to leave, to go from this Claire, the one who clearly adored him, back to the,"old" Claire who still hated his guts. And then there was Noah, he had years to wait for him. Before the tears could really sting his eyes Claire stirred. He could tell she'd not opened her eyes yet but she stretched out her limbs lazily, not bothering to remove herself from his chest.

"What's up?" she mumbled, her voice still groggy from sleep.

"Umm... nothing, how'd you know I was awake?" he kissed the top of her head as if to greet her good morning.

He felt a mischievous smile spread across her face, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin,"Come on, it's me! I can hear you thinking" she coo'ed.

"That's a new one" he chuckled brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as she propped her head up to look at him. _God she was beautiful. _

"I don't need any powers to know there's something wrong. Something is different, I can tell..." she paused, her eyes scrutinising his every feature,"...are you unhappy?"

He sighed and shook his head,"I'm not unhappy Claire, really I'm not. I'm amazingly happy, but I wonder if it's right? After what I have done, to all those people...to you. Do I even deserve you and Noah?"

In an instant Claires eyes clouded in the dim light of the morning. She sighed as though she was tired of this topic of conversation but she was clearly sympathetic.

She spoke in hardly more than a whisper,"Baby you have to stop thinking like that, I forgive you, I forgave you a long time ago", he took a moment to analyse her statement, cursing himself for even doubting her honestly. His lie detector never so much as rumbled, she really meant it.

He averted his eyes momentarily from her face staring up at the ceiling, as if the human puzzle that was Claire Bennett was all too baffling for him.

"But how can you? I just don't understand..." he trailed of. _I don't understand _being a phrase that he wasn't much accustomed to.

"Sylar took my teenage years away from me, and I hated him" she sounded gravely serious and at the moment he caught a glimpse of the old Claire, venom dripping from every syllable.

"but, if you're asking if I would trade my husband and my son to have those years back, then no I wouldn't change a thing. No Sylar equals no Gabriel and no Gabriel equals no Noah...and that's a thought to horrible to consider, even for me" she paused as if checking that he followed her reasoning. He started at her, something like a smile threatening to escape his lips,"...so ya know..._SHUT UP!_" She rolled her eyes trying to lighten the mood but the intensity in the room was hard to escape.

He grabbed a hold of her and kissed her passionately trying his hardest to note every detail down to memory, the taste of her lips the smell of her skin. He barely noticed as she took his hand to her breast, pressing it down over her steady eternal heartbeat. Breathless from her kisses she looked up at him,"Feel that?" she sighed her eyes narrowing as though she were almost annoyed. He nodded in acknowledgement, his breath tight in his throat not wanting to taint the moment with too many words. Claires tone was low and matter of fact,"It's yours".It was such a simple statement and one that could have been overblown and contrived were it not delivered with that trademark conviction that Claire had in her voice when she really _really_ meant something. He searched for a fitting retort, something equally profound and moving but he found no words he could come up with did the moment justice and so returned to kissing her hungrily, biting down and nibbling on her lips, holding on so tightly to her that any normal woman would have been left bruised, but she was no normal woman and she never would be, even without her healing powers Claire would always be so much more, to him at least.

And then in spectacular moment ruining style the radio alarm clicked on, blaring out music obnoxiously,

_"I'll be there till the stars don't shine, 'till the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme and when I die you'll be..."_

****BANG****

The radio alarm bore the full brunt of Sylars wrath as he used his telekinesis to raise it in to the air and fling it against the bedroom wall. Claire suppressed a giggle amused by his sudden outburst. She had clearly grown used to his temper over the years.

Snuggling close until his chest hair tickled her nose she sighed,"Spoil sport! And during that song too!"

Before Claires statement had even registered he shot back,"Bon Jovi was all the more reason for that radio alarm to meet it's end!"

In an instant she rose off of his chest and on to her haunches, the look she shot him was unmistakable, he knew that face well. Claire was pissed.

"What?" he sat himself up in their bed, pulling the covers around him, suddenly feeling rather exposed and vulnerable.

"That song, you HATE that song?" she spat, pointing to the now rather silent radio alarm on the floor.

Oh shit. That song clearly held some kind of significance to Claire, but it was more than that, the tears welling in her eyes now told him that she wasn't just annoyed that he had,"forgotten" their song, she was suspicious. She knew something was amiss.

"No...no of course I don't, how could I hate..." before he could dig himself of of this ever bottomless hole he appeared to be getting into she cut him off with another question.

"What's my favourite movie?" there was an urgency in her voice.

Before he could even draw breath to try and wing it with a guess she fired him another.

"What year did we get married, what date?" she sobbed slightly edging her way off of the bed, hands grasping around behind her trying to locate her night dress.

"Claire, please calm down, I can explain..." he begged lurching forward to try and get hold of her, instinct telling him that if he could just make her listen...

"What date is Noah's birthday?" Claire was visibly shaking now, the fear in her eyes broke his heart, it wasn't meant to be like this. He was supposed to have a nice trip to the future and then go back to his miserable old life. He was not meant to scare the proverbial out of his future wife while he was there.

"Claire, it's me, it' Gabriel just let me explain!" his eyebrows raised high up his forehead as he pleaded with her to listen.

"His birthday Gabriel, what date was our son born?" she persisted, a few tears flowing freely down her flushed cheeks.

Exasperated he clamped his hands over his face and shook his head, what had he done?

"You don't know do you? You don't know what song we had our first dance to, you don't know what date we got married and you don't know when our little boy was born..." she was now standing by the foot of the bed, unwilling to be any closer to him."...so who in Gods name are you and what the HELL have you done with my husband?" she pointed an accusing finger in his direction, fear giving way to rage.


	6. Chapter 6

In one graceful fluid movement she was out of the door and heading towards Noah's room, her maternal instinct kicking in. He chased after her, struggling with his dressing gown on the way.

"Get away from me! I don't know who you are but when my husband is due home any minute and he is going to be PISSED!" She yelled behind her.

Knowing that seeing her so panicked would upset the boy he froze her, stopping her dead in her tracks, using the puppet master power that he stole from Eric Doyle. Her eyes blazed with fury but he clamped her mouth shut, knowing all too well that she would promise to kill him all over again if he allowed her speech. Seizing his opportunity he stood gingerly before her, his brown eyes wide and non-threatening.

"Claire, I'm sorry. I know you hate this power, it freaks you out more than the others. But I just need you to listen to me for one minute" there was a pleading in his voice and her eyes seemed to soften slightly as he reached out his hands to stroke her upper arms.

"It is me, I am Gabriel. Just, not _your_ Gabriel..." her brow furrowed in confusion.

"...I'm from the past, 2011 to be exact. Pete brought me here yesterday. You still hate me back where I'm from, and Pete just wanted me to I dunno...stay on the right track I guess. He wanted me to see the future us" he gave himself a moment, trying to gauge her reaction.

"So no, I'm not your Gabriel, but _I AM_ Gabriel all the same. I'm not here to hurt you or Noah..." he looked down at his feet and concluded in a hushed tone,"...I love you".

There was silence. Claire rolled her eyes as though to remind him to release her.

"Oh sorry!" He released his invisible hold.

****Whack!****without missing a beat she smacked his arm with all the spite she could muster.

"OUCH!" he chided, holding on to his arm. That was not the reaction he was expecting.

"NEVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN! I HATE IT!" Claire scolded in a hushed voice, suddenly concerned for the sleeping child lying beyond the door behind her.

"You wouldn't let me speak, you weren't listening...I had to!" he followed her suit and lowered his tone, still massaging the feeling back into his arm.

"I don't care, from now on never use that power on me, otherwise there will be no, "future us" or ,"past us" or any other "us" get it?" she bit out, creasing her brow trying to control her anger.

Taking a moment to compose herself she smoothed her hair and huffed, "So you're from the past?" she considered, speaking more to herself than him.

"Yer, I fell asleep in the apartment and woke up here. You know Pete, loves to meddle" he smirked raising his hand to rub the back of his neck.

Her begrudged smile reassured him, "He will have meant well".

Hmm...so Uncle Peter's still a hero he thought, good to know some things never change.

Twenty minutes later they were sat in the kitchen, both nursing fresh cups of coffee, and feeling strangely comfortable with one another.

"So..." she looked at the clock hanging on the wall, Sylar noted it was making perfect time, not a second too slow or too fast, this was defiantly his home.

"..._MY_Gabriel is due back from Japan today. Can you guys meet? Is that allowed? I mean presumably he will know about you, he'll remember right?" she grinned, like a child pleased with her new fantastic idea.

Sylar shook his head in disagreement, "Pete will be here soon to take me back. I'm sure it's not a good idea for me to meet my future self"

"Why?" she shot back, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal.

"I dunno, maybe it will change the way things turn out or something?" he realised that explanation was all together flawed as he had already changed the course of their lives by being found out, he just hoped Claire wouldn't notice.

"Sounds a bit, _"Back to the Future"_ to me" Claire scoffed at his theory.

"Yeah, Pete's probably waiting for me in the DeLorean outside"

She nearly spat out her coffee at his quip.

"I don't think I wanna see future me right now anyway" his shoulders slumped a little.

"Again...why? You could ask him all sorts of things about your future. You clearly have a penchant for spoilers Mr,_"When did you start loving me"_Claire reminded him of the previous evenings conversation.

"I'll figure it out myself thanks, besides I'm kinda jealous of him right now. He's coming home to my family and I'm going home to be loathed for a few more years" he knew he sounded like a spoilt child but he didn't care, he was beginning to feel rather sorry for himself. He knew Peter meant well bringing him here, and he was right he probably DID need to see it, but at this moment in time it felt cruel.

Claire raised a well plucked eyebrow and drew a deep breath, "Honey, you do know that makes no sense don't you...on that logic, I just cheated on my husband last night...with YOU?"

This earned a grin from him that could only be described as feral, "but it was worth it hu, Babydoll?" his tone making Claire flushed at the memory of the night before.

Fanning herself casually she shrugged, "and I didn't loathe you either...not in 2011 anyway" she pursed her lips and inspected her now empty coffee cup, unwilling to meet his gaze.

To his amazement his lie detector once again remained dormant, and if he wasn't mistaken her heart rate had risen and she was blushing.

"Oh really...go on?" his eyebrows shot up into his forehead at the realisation, and she laughed nervously knowing that she had given away more than she had meant to.

"When you and Pete became roommates, you were _always_ around...usually with your shirt off I might add, either just out of the shower or about to get in it...it became pretty hard to carry on hating you!" She bit her bottom lip trying to stifle a grin,"...I was still a teenager remember, hormones racing through me and suddenly there's this incredibly hot guy around..._all the time_! Jeez you were annoying!" Claire clamped her hand over her eyes feeling like a silly school girl." Why did I just tell you that, you're going back there to torment me aren't you?"

"Oh Claire it's ok, you're only human" he couldn't resist teasing her,"...and I'll make sure that my showering schedule coincides perfectly with your visits from now on!"

Before Claire could think of a witty retort a little voice called from the doorway, "Is it my birthday yet?" Noah enquired rubbing his eyes, still clad in his spiderman pj's. Without hesitation he wandered straight up to his father who instinctively pulled him up on to his lap.

"No honey not quite yet two more sleeps!" Claire chirped leaning over to kiss the boy on the head before moving to place her cup on the counter.

"Oh!" the boy let out a frustrated sigh, but was quickly distracted by a clattering noise coming from the cupboard under the stairs. He expertly maneuvered himself off of Sylars knee and scampered towards the cupboard door.

"Wait a minute Noah, we don't want anything falling out on you do we?" Sylars tone was light but Claire knew that years of being hunted and lead him to be cautious of every disturbance no matter how trivial it seemed. Moving in front of Noah he opened the door to be faced with a very disgruntled looking Peter, hunched over because the cupboard would not accommodated his height and currently trying to untangle himself from the vacuum cleaner cable. Using the door to hide behind, Sylar struggled to suppress the laughter that he felt rising within his chest. His face creased when Peter raised an accusing digit in his direction.

"Don't even..." Peter warned his fringe falling over his eyes, "I cannot get a handle on this teleporting thing! I'm only here looking after your sorry ass!" his voice was hushed so not to alert Claire. However, his nephew was all to quick for him.

"Uncle Peter why are you in the broom cupboard?" The boy announced loudly, bringing Claire in from the kitchen. Peter looked on exasperated, things clearly not going as he had planned.

"Heeeey Noah! Erm...I'm hiding!" Peter reasoned, carefully stepping out of the cupboard and stretching out his limbs.

Noah looked up at him dumb founded, he was a bright kid, he probably didn't buy the explanation but was none the less excited to see his favorite Uncle. Taking him by the hand in order to lead him to the kitchen, "Come on, we're having breakfast" he ordered.

"I think Uncle Peter needs to talk to your Dad a second baby, let's go and fix your pancakes hu?" Claire ushered Noah out. Shooting Sylar and Peter a knowing look in the process. The laughter quickly drained from Sylars features; he knew why Peter was here.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey Guys, sorry this chapter has taken a little longer. I wanted to get it right and I've written and rewritten it several times. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, you make my day. Here it is.

**Chapter 7**

"Dude, she knows?" Peter pointed a questioning finger in Claires direction.

"Long story..." Sylar nodded digging his hands in to his pockets, uneasy at the thought of what was about to happen.

Peter shook an ever pesky strand of hair from his eyes, "You know why I'm here right?"

Staring down at his bare feet Sylar nodded, "...you know I could just shoot you full of 1000 volts and push you right back into that broom cupboard?" he narrowed his eyes as though considering his options.

Peter scoffed at his friends idol threat, knowing that Sylar was at least half joking otherwise he would have done it by now.

"Sure you could" Peter nodded in mock agreement, "...but Claire would just heal me and get all pissy with you for electrocuting her favourite Uncle"

Despite the distinct air off smugness that he was getting from Peter at that particular moment he couldn't ignore the pang of affection he felt. They were once sworn enemies and yet there Peter was before him not the slightest bit afraid, it really was testament to the faith that his friend had in him.

The apologetic look in Peters eyes was not lost on Sylar "Come on, time to say your goodbyes"

Stepping into the kitchen he surveyed the scene, Claire pottered around making Noah's packed lunch while the boy in question was making short work of his waffles. It was so...normal. For a person who had always coveted the special and extraordinary he suddenly realised that he craved this particular kind of normality more than anything he had ever wanted before.

Sensing his presence Claire looked around to meet his gaze, "Your Dad has to go to _work_ now honey, say goodbye" Claire chirped, trying her best not to give herself away. Lies had never really been her strong suit, even the little white ones told to save peoples feelings.

Taking her lead Sylar knelt down before Noah who instantly turned around to face him, "Are you going to work with Uncle Peter today Dad?" he asked, his eyes deep brown and inquisitive...Pete had been right he had inherited his fathers eyebrows.

"Yep...sure" Sylar nodded, searching for the words that were stuck in his throat.

"Catching bad guys?" Noah continued. Well that was something, no matter what his future profession was he was glad that they'd been honest with their son, at least they'd not told him his Dad worked in a paper factory.

"I'm gonna let Uncle Peter catch them, then I'll just scare them into being good" he tickled Noah's sides making him giggle.

"You're not ...even...hahaha...scary!" the boy chuckled almost wriggling off of his chair.

With that Sylar called a truce on the tickling and pulled him in to a hug, "I know, but don't tell anybody huh?" he spoke into his sons ear.

Over Noah's shoulder Sylar caught Claire's gaze, if he wasn't mistaken that was sadness on her face, he wasn't sure why, _her _Gabriel would be back in a matter of hours, she'd hardly have time to miss him. Not in the way that he would miss her.

"Come on Noah, it's time to get ready for school honey" Claire spoke, but her voice was ever so slightly croakier than before. With that the boy pulled away, not before giving his Dad one final hug, with that he headed for the stairs, "See you tonight Dad!" he called out, not bothering to look behind him. Sylar wanted ever so much to answer but found that his voice was stuck somewhere behind the tears that kept threatening to spill.

As soon as Noah was out of sight Claire raced around the kitchen table, faster than was strictly necessary and enveloped him in a hug. Picking her up he sat her on the counter top to negate their height difference. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and let her comfort him.

"I don't want to go" he whispered.

"I know baby...I know" she stroked his hair and squeezed him tightly; she raised his face to meet hers until their foreheads were almost touching. Her voice was low and wavering, "I just want to tell you that I'm sorry for all the mean things that I am going to say to you..."

"Claire don't" He tried to cut her off but she placed a finger over his lips to silence him.

"...I know but I need you to listen to me, I always knew you had changed after the carnival, I didn't hate you I just had to come to terms with the way I felt about you. Don't give up on me..." she struggled to speak clearly, a few stray tears mapped their way down her cheeks,"...even when I'm cruel and I'm pushing you away, please don't give up on me"

"I'm not a quitter Claire, you should know that by now"

He couldn't bear to see her cry any longer, so closing his eyes he cupped her face and kissed her hard, she grabbed on to his shirt and clung on to him as if shear will alone could make time stop for a moment.

They were shook from their moment by Peter clearing his throat to make his presence known in the doorway.

"Guys, I'm sorry but we have to get back, Gabriel...well...future Gabriel will be on his way back from the airport..."

"Hello! I can fly? Why the hell do I need an airport?" Sylar cut Peter off, throwing him a confused expression that Peter was pretty sure was just a stalling tactic.

Claire laughed quietly to herself, wiping her eyes,"I dunno genius, maybe your employers think that it's a little less conspicuous to put you on a plane rather than have you running around the world doing your Superman impression...besides, we can use the air miles!"

He looked back at Claire with a half smile,"Well, whatever...future me sounds like a douche" he pretended to sulk or at least it looked like he was pretending.

"He's not, he's amazing and I love him completely...he's just like you" Claire forced a smile and stroked the stubble on his jaw.

Peter was behind them now only a few feet away, trying his best to look anywhere but at his best friend and niece wrapped in one another's arms.

Claire looked at Peter, knowing he was growing impatient and looked back at Sylar.

"Go, go with Peter" Claire tried to sound firm, knowing that one of them at least had to be strong. This earned her a wide eyes mournful look from Sylar and it was all she could do not to melt. Luckily she was well rehearsed with this particular look,"Don't give me that look!" she rolled her eyes, trying to act nonchalant, though she was dying a little bit inside.

"What look?" he asked, eyes still burning through her.

"That look, the one you're doing right now, it's the same look Noah gives me when I tell him he can't eat Ice Cream for dinner" she bit her lip and looked up at him through long lashes that were still damp with tears.

"...go back and woo me!" she half heartedly pushed him away.

To her surprise this drew a somewhat devilish smile from him,"Nasty motel room you say?" he cooed under his breath.

Realising he was referring to the recollection she had given of their first road trip the night before, her emerald eyes flashed and her face burned ever so slightly red.

Peter cleared his throat again.

"You know you really ought to see someone about that Pete!" Sylar called behind him, his eyes not moving from Claire.

"Go" was all she said, in a quiet little voice that broke his heart a little.

He nodded.

He turned to his friend ready to teleport. Looking directly at Peter he took a deep breath.

In an act of shear impulse a small well manicured hand grabbed ferociously at his collar and pulled him back to her for one last searing kiss. He poured so much affection and need in to that kiss that he thought he might just go nuclear.

"I love you" he whispered the words feeling woefully inadequate.

There was the distant sound of a key in the door, but as he turned he felt Peter's firm hand on his shoulder and in an instant they were gone. Claire stood lonely in the kitchen her arms encircled around herself, staring at the empty space before her, trying to comprehend the last 24 hours. Before she had chance footsteps made their way through the living room and a deep ever so familiar voice called to her,"Hey Babe, I'm home!"


	8. Chapter 8

Hey Guys, this ones a shorter chapter. I'm already on with chapter 9 but it would have been a mammoth read if I had combined the two into one chapter, so sorry if it seems to end rather abruptly. I will update soon. Hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. It really is lovely of you. Big thanks to **ivy83** and **smithsbabe65** for convincing me to carry on with the story.

**Chapter 8**

Sylar stood in the kitchen. The untidy, chaotic kitchen that he shared with Peter, it rather matched the rest of the untidy and chaotic apartment except for his room which was the polar opposite, everything having its place. Peter stood before him, "Hey, you ok?"

Sylar patted down his body, "Well you go me back in one piece at least"

"As if you ever doubted me?" Peter sighed indignantly walking to the refrigerator.

Sylar's super hearing picked up the sound of giggling coming from the living room; he raised a hand to Peter as to silence him from opening the can of coke in his hands.

Shaking his head wearily Peter smiled, "Don't be so suspicious all the time, Jeez, it's Emma, I gave her a key!"

"And by the sounds of it, she has Claire over too!" He looked up at Sylar with that quirky grin, "You coming? You could get on with some of that,"wooing" that Claire was talking about?"

Sylar leaned against the counter, "No you go ahead, I'm gonna sit this one out." He said feeling like a coward but not really caring. He could still feel the brush of Claire's lips on his and the smell of her perfume on his t-shirt, he couldn't face the frosty reception he would undoubtedly receive from her should he enter the living room right now.

Peter shrugged, "Ok, suit yourself but we're only through here if you wanna join us. I'm sure Emma would like to see you...she keeps telling me you're her hero by the way" he winked and backed out of the room.

Feeling entirely dejected he made himself a strong coffee and sat with the morning news paper at the kitchen table. It wasn't long at all before the words became a blur on the page and he was intently listening in to the decisively girly conversation taking place in the next room. It wasn't like he liked to eavesdrop; he just found that, as in most situations where Claire Bennett was concerned, he just couldn't help himself.

"So what are you going to wear?" Emma asked.

Why did women care what other women were, _"going to wear"_ he pondered. It wouldn't matter if Peter took to wearing full Matador uniform to work he could never bring himself to care.

"I dunno, it's just casual you know, it's not really a dressy kinda place. I'm thinking my skinny jeans and my grey halter neck maybe...I dunno, what do you think, is that too revealing? It's only our first date?" _WHAT THE HELL?_ Upon hearing Claire's voice he instantly slammed down his coffee cup.

"Ah who's the lucky guy?" Peter enquired, probably knowing that Sylar was listening by now.

"He's called Jamie, I met him at college, he's a biology student. He's just a friend it's no big deal" Claire tried to make light of the situation and play it cool but the girlish excitement in her voice cut him deep. This was some welcome home present.

"Where's he taking you?" Peter probed further.

"Some place off Sanderson Street, this little Thai place. Jamie says it's really authentic" the sweetness in Claire's voice turned his stomach into a nauseous knot.

"Well he better be nice to my favorite niece" How could Peter be so calm about this? He was the one so intent on showing him the future. Until he had done that Sylar had been prepared to long for Claire from a far, sure that she would never accept him, and never love him. And yet now he couldn't see her as anything but his wife and the mother of his son.

That evening Sylar found himself hanging around Sanderson Street, collar up on his thick woolen coat and stalking the sidewalks trying to formulate some kind of plan, good God what was this girl turning him in to? Had he really become that needy? He glanced in to the candle lit restaurant and saw Claire, looking breathtaking with her golden tresses up neatly on her head, gazing longingly across the table at, "Jamie" who to Sylars surprise was not the jock type he had expected. He was bookish if anything, neatly dressed with his hair combed in a rather severe side parting. Yet Claire was sat there looking at Jamie and smiling that shy smile that she had bestowed upon him only 24 hours ago. Yes, he surmised, he had become _that_ needy.

He ran through several possibilities in his mind, he could use Parkman's ability to plant a few unsavory ideas in the boys head, get him to make a few inappropriate remarks, maybe even an unwanted advance? He had told himself a few months ago, after the carnival that he wouldn't use his powers to do harm but this was his _wife_ right? Some things are worth fighting for, even if it means fighting dirty.

He hung around, for what felt like hours, occasionally managing to tune in to what they were talking about. They talked about college, the classes they took, music they liked, superficial things but as Jamie downed more and more house wine he became increasingly inquisitive about Claire's ability.

"So you can't get hurt? How fascinating? You said you had conducted your own experiments? Do you still have the tapes?" Sylar observed as Jamie pried further and further into Claire's history, wanting to know every last detail about the extent of her heeling and not dropping the subject when repeatedly asked. Maybe he wouldn't need to plant those unsavory thoughts after all? It looked like Jamie was doing a damn fine job of jeopardizing his date with Claire all on his own. The guy was a creep!

Eventually Sylar tore himself away from the window, deciding to make his way home. He had hardly cleared a few yards before he heard the restaurant door slam, followed by the sound of raised voices.

"Just leave me the hell alone ok!" He knew that voice, so _so_ well.

"Come on Claire, all I want to do is do a few experiments, it's not like it could even hurt you! You're being selfish! Just a few hours of your time, a few samples of your blood, this could be ground breaking!" Jamie's voice bounced of the walls of the empty street.

"I mean it Jamie, leave me alone!" Claire was now stumbling down the street as fast as her feet would carry her, pulling on her jacket over her bare shoulders.

Sylar tried to remain far enough ahead to hear but not so close as to give himself away. His concentration was broken when Claire let out a shriek, "LET ME GO!".

"You're being unreasonable Claire, just come with me you stupid bitch!" Jamie now had a hold of Claire by both wrists, taking a firm advantage of his greater physical strength.

In a split second Jamie was pinned against the wall, his limbs spread out against the cold brick; Claire stood by, rubbing her wrists as the bruises Jamie had created faded.

Striding into viability Sylar stood in the dim street light in front of the terrified boy.

"You heard the lady James, leave her alone. You're never going to bother her again, if you do she's going to come and tell me and then I would have to find you and kill you" Claire marveled at how level he sounded giving his little speech, he was almost light hearted," See I'm not a killer _anymore_ James, I've put it all behind me, but for you, I think I would be prepared to come out of retirement, just the once. Do you understand?"

The younger man whimpered and nodded, agreeing unconditionally to Sylar's terms. Releasing his hold, the boy slid raggedly down the cold wall and on to his feet. He stared at Sylar aghast.

"Go" Sylar commanded, his horse shout making Claire shudder, "Go and do not come back!"

In a few moments Jamie was no more than pounding footsteps running into the deserted city streets and Claire was already walking steadily in the other direction, her hands deep in her jacket pockets crossing it over her, guarding her petite frame against the cold night air.


	9. Chapter 9

So here it is, chapter 9. It's not been the easiest to write but I think I know where I'm going with it now. Thank you so much to all of you who have so kindly read and reviewed. You guys are the best!

**Chapter 9**

Sylar quickly moved in her direction, "Claire, are you ok?" in a few paces he was by her side.

"Fine, just FINE!" she ground the words out through gritted teeth, he wasn't sure if that was anger or sadness in her voice, maybe it was a mixture of the two.

"Are you sure?" he peered around, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

"Yes, now could you leave me alone! I've had enough of sadistic weirdos for one evening!"

Claire's flippant remark tripped Sylars temper, "You're welcome!" he bit back at her, still striding to match her pace.

Right on cue Claire stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look up at him, her eyes ablaze,"Oh so what? You scare of some asshole of a guy for me and we're even? Is that really how you think this works? Why are you even here? Are you following me or something?"

"Get over yourself Claire! Jesus, I was just passing by and heard you screaming..." she was getting just about on his last nerve.

"Yer well you ought to know what that sounds like huh Sylar?" Claire spat back, stretching her body up on her tiptoes to get in his face. She was expecting an explosion of sorts, she wanted to poke him with a stick and see what happened. Press his buttons to see what it would take to get the old, "Sylar" to make an appearance. The reaction she got was very different to the one she was expecting. His shoulders slumped and he looked back at her wounded, his eyes were huge pools of hurt.

"Wow, cheap shot Claire, even for you. And my name is Gabriel." with that he continued to walk on, leaving her be as she had requested. As he walked he could feel her eyes on him, and her footsteps gingerly following.

"Wait..." came a small voice, but he carried on walking.

"Would you just wait up a minute?" She called out to him again, this time reaching out a hand to grab a chunk of his jacket. He stopped, refusing to meet her eyes, instead focusing on the floor or the posters for some band on the city walls...anywhere but at her face.

"You're right, it was a cheap shot. I was angry and for once, not actually at you. I know you're trying. I guess I'm sorry." he could tell it pained her to say the words aloud, her hand remained firmly tangled in his jacket, even though he was stood dead still in front of her now, remembering herself she let go, in a strange unconscious act of affection she smoothed the material down on his arm.

He stood frozen at her touch.

"...I just, I really liked that guy, I've been sitting with him in class for weeks. I thought he was my friend and it turns out he just wanted me to be his lab rat. All I wanted to do was go on a date, do something normal y'know?" Claire tried to explain herself, and he found that his temper could not rule him for long.

"Well, he'll not bother you again, I'll make sure of that" he assured.

"I think you already did heh-heh" She half laughed looking back towards the wall where minutes earlier Jamie was pinned. Slowly they began to walk neither one of the knowing where to. Just walking and letting the night pass them by.

"Claire" Sylar broke the silence, "...can I ask you something?"

"hmm" she nodded, her emerald eyes looking up at him without an ounce of fear or annoyance. Maybe he was making progress? He dared to hope.

"Why do you always want to be normal? I mean, 90% of the time you're surrounded by people who aren't,"normal" just like you? Peter, Emma and me" he added that last bit on carefully. It was true that since the Carnival barely a day went by that she didn't visit Peter at their apartment, sometimes she'd make out that she was just tagging along with Emma but it wasn't hard to see the clique forming.

Claire continued to look straight ahead, she cocked her head to the side slightly, considering her reply, "Because I don't wanna spend my life running and hiding. I want normal things. I want a home, a family someone to share things with. In a way knowing that I have this ability, that I can't die, it just makes me want those things more. Forever would be a hell of a long time without them."

Sylar nodded in agreement as Claire put across one of the best arguments for,"normal" that he had ever heard,"You will have all of those things Claire" he reassured.

"Well, I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm just kidding myself. I mean, I don't age for Gods sake, how can I grow old with someone when I _can't_ grow old?" the defeat in her voice threw Sylar, she sounded so resigned. One thing he could always rely on was that Claire Bennett would fight.

"You could _not_ grow old with someone who is just like you? Someone who has your ability too." the words came out of his mouth of their own volition, he wanted to claw them back but it was too late he had said it. At first Claire didn't register but then her watery green eyes widened and she looked up at him, mouth a gape.

"You are unreal, you know that? Damn I am so stupid! I was beginning to believe you had changed!" her words hit him like daggers, "...you think because we're both immortal that that means we were meant to be? You have to be kidding, you only have my ability because you stole it, don't forget that!" she screeched irate.

Planting his feet to the spot her pirouetted to face her, hands firmly on his hips ready for the argument,"How _COULD_ I forget it Claire? I hate myself for what I did to you. But I do have forever to make it up to you, and I will. I don't know how but I will." He knew he sounded crazy but he didn't care, he just wanted her to believe him.

Claire shook her head and looked to the heavens,"Have you heard yourself Sylar..."

"GABRIEL!" he corrected her, biting his toung so's not to reprimand her further.

Claire raised her hand, dismissing his point,"Whatever. Do you know how what you're asking? You killed my father. Like it or not, weather you're Gabriel or Sylar _you_ killed my him with those hands and even if I do believe you have changed I could never be with you. Never, I'd rather be alone forever." There it was, the Claire Bennett fight, it was a relief to see it back. But one thing worried him. That last sentence, his lie detector ability was notable by it's absence. She was telling the truth.

Swallowing hard he rubbed his eyes, trying to summon up the strength to continue with what was now starting to feel like a rather humiliating lost cause,"I've seen it Claire, the future, and that's how I know you can have all of those things that you wanted" he said in a grave tone.

"What? What are you talking about?" Claire sighed screwing up her features in confusion.

He sighed hard, fiddling nervously with his keys. He knew this wasn't part of the deal, he was playing with fire. Peter had warned him of the butterfly effect, except this didn't feel like killing a butterfly, this was like nuking it into oblivion. "Peter borrowed Hiro's power, took me forward in time. He wanted to show me what could be, what _is_ going to be." he explained.

"So..." Claire shrugged, trying not to looked creeped out by what she somehow knew was coming.

"So, we were together. Married in fact" he once again found that he couldn't bring himself to look her in the face, sure that she would mock him. He was right, a sly insulting smirk leaked across her pretty features,"Oh please!" she creased.

"...and we have a son too. He's beautiful Claire really he is." Sylar winced as Claire openly laughed at the mention of their child. He continued to stare back at her, with a look of hurt that to her surprise, she found tugged at her heart strings more than she would care to admit. "You can't be serious..." she asked with narrowed eyes as the last drops of laughter left her voice,"...you can't be?" she reconfirmed to herself.

Turning away from her, unable to resist the urge to run in to the night and lick his wounds any longer, he called back, "If you don't believe me Claire ask Peter to show you, see for yourself!" and with that he was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey Guys! Once again, kinda short chapter. Hopefully it will make sense why once you've read it. I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all of your kind reviews, I'm so flattered that you guys are taking the time to follow the story. Long live TEAM SYLAIRE! xxx

**Chapter 10**

"YOU DID WHAT?" the force of Peter's words damn near knocked him off his feet.

"I didn't set out to tell her, it just..." Sylar followed Peter around their living room as he paced frantically, reeling from the news he had just been told.

Before he could fully explain Peter interjected, "You just WHAT Gabriel, just accidentally told Claire that I took you to the future to show you what you could have if you stayed on the right track? News flash buddy...THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT TRACK!"

"How do you know that? She said she would rather be alone forever than be with me, and she meant it Pete! My lie detector didn't go off, she needs to see that I could make her happy. You can do that!" There was pleading in Sylars voice and Peter's temper subdued a little.

Running both hands through his hair exasperated Peter looked knowingly at his best friend,"Of course she meant it, she's not in love with you yet but she will be. You have to stop relying on your powers to determine peoples feelings all the time, what's wrong with having a little faith?"

Before Sylar could piece together a plausible argument the door buzzer sounded.

"Claire, what are you doing here this time of night?" Peter tried to sound calm, but wasn't making too good a job of it.

Claire responded without so much as a civil greeting, flying into the apartment, finally standing before Peter, hands on her hips, "Is it true?" she demanded her accusing stare pinned firmly on her Uncle.

"Claire, wait a minute..." Peter raised his hands in defence.

"IS IT TRUE?" she demanded once again, her tanned skin giving way to angry red.

Peter knew he wouldn't negotiate his way out of this one, "Yes, I travelled forward in time. I was worried about Gabriel so I asked Hiro to show me where he would end up. That's when I saw what I saw. I thought if I could just show him what he could have, it would spur him on to fight the hunger he feels." he explained in a weary tone.

Wiping her now sweaty plams on her jeans Claire shook her head in disbelief, "I don't believe you, there must be some mistake. Just because you have seen the future it doesn't mean I can't change it, I can fight against it. We stopped New York from blowing up for Gods sake!" she argued, unwilling to accept what Peter was telling her as her fate.

Peter looked back at his neice, tense and afraid that he may have made a grave mistake taking matters into his own hands,"That's as maybe Claire, I only know that when I went to the future you were happy, really truly happy. You had a family, it's the nearest thing to perfect I have ever seen."

Claire looked at Peter and then at Sylar, who was displaying uncharacteristic patience given the situation. There was a few brief seconds of silence as she processed the information.

"Show me, if you can take him you can take me" she held out her hand to Peter, making her demands like a spoilt child. Backing away instantly as though burnt Peter refused,"No, no way. I've done enough damage. I should have never taken Gabriel..."

"Yes, yes you should! This isn't your fault Peter. I needed to see it." Sylar instinctively defended Peter, even if it was only against his own self criticism.

Claire all but stamped her feet the impatience and fury growing within her,"Well maybe I need to see it too, I swear if you don't show me I will fight against this with every fibre of my being, I'll move somewhere far far away, somewhere no one can find me. I'll never have his child! Never!" she yelled, pointing her finger at Sylar without so much as having the respect to look at him whilst doing so.

If she had looked at him she would have seen the now frantic fear burning in his eyes. He was starting to lose hope, what she said about the future was right, it wasn't set in stone, it could be changed. They had managed it before. His thoughts drifted to Claires words, not the Claire before him right now but Claire from the future, Claire Grey. _His Claire_.

"_No Sylar equals no Gabriel and no Gabriel equals no Noah...and that's a thought to horrible to consider, even for me_"

The scene played out in his mind, Claire years from now, head rested on his chest talking about their son. That moment had been so perfect, it had to happen. It just had to.

Without a second thought he reached out to Claire, placing his hand on her shoulder,"I'm sorry Pete, but if you won't show her I will, I know this is a mess, but I have to try. If it was you and Emma on the line, you'd do the same thing."

"What are you talking about, you don't have the power of time travel?" Peter exclaimed, clearly worried by Sylar's threat.

The corners of Sylar's mouth twitched as he fought the smirk that threatened to escape," No but I do have empathy, I quit sawing off heads years ago. I can gain powers just by being emotionally close to someone...and you've been my best friend Peter, I hope you still are" his tone was sincere even if he did appear a little smug.

"Don't do this man, we can't keep messing with the future like this! What if you get seen? Things have to happen because you want them to not because you're resigned to them." Peter begged.

"Oh don't worry, anything he shows me will just make me more determined to stay away from him!" Claire snarled, glaring at the hand still firmly planted on her shoulder. It sounded a little too much like a challenge to him, and he was never one to shy away from one of those. He paused a moment, Peter had been so good to him and as much as he hated to admit it the younger Patrelli was prone to better judgement, he was normally right. But recalling how she had spoken about Noah that morning, he knew what he had to do. She would thank him for it one day.

"What are you waiting for then? SHOW ME!" Claire smacked her hand atop of his on her shoulder and glared up at him with steely resolve. He never was good at saying,"No" to her. With one apologetic glance in Peters direction they were gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Here it is, Chapter 11. This one has been so much fun to write. Hope you guys like it. Thanks for all the lovely reviews and being so patient with me. You all spur me on so much, you rock!

**Chapter 11**

"Where are we?" Claire asked, her eyes scanning her surroundings. They were in some kind of parking lot surrounded by offices maybe? Or something that looked akin to motel rooms. The air was dry and the sun was setting. It felt as though they were in the middle of nowhere.

"Good question" before Claire could extract an explanation, Sylar gone in the direction of what appeared to be some kind of reception office. She let him get a few paces ahead before following him into the dank smelling chalet.

"What is it now sugar?" a short stocky woman behind the counter croaked, hardly moving her eyes from the news paper in front of her.

"Errm... I was wondering if we could book a room?" he inquired inquisitively, something told him he knew where he was. If he was right, fate had one hell of a sense of humor. As if by reflex Claire smacked his arm, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" but before he could answer the woman behind the desk put down her news paper.

Shooting him a disgruntled but friendly look she exclaimed, "But you have a room, you's were in here just fifteen minutes ago. You're in room 13 already!"

"No we weren't?" Claire's eyebrows arched so high Sylar thought they might spring clean off of her head.

"Yes you were honey. Glad to see y'all have cooled off some too, I thought I was gonna have to call out fire brigade!" the woman chuckled in Claires direction and gave her a not so subtle wink, "Not that I can say I blame you" she added glancing in Sylars direction.

With a devastatingly charming smile Sylar interjected, "Could we book out room 14 too? We can pay in advance." he dug in his pocket retrieving his wallet. The woman stared back confused but relented uttering something about them being a strange couple of kids under her breath. She handed over the keys to room 14 and wished them a pleasant stay.

Claire stepped tentatively into room 14, "Oh my God, could you have found anywhere nastier? You have the power to travel through time and space and you bring me HERE?" Claire was just settling into her tirade when her voice became drowned out by the sound of the people in the next room. It was no surprise the walls were paper thin but these voices...were familiar.

_"Jesus Claire did you spray these jeans on this morning?"_ a dark rumbling voice bellowed through the walls, followed by the song of girlish giggling_, "well, I'm sure you have some kind of power tucked away somewhere that would get them off..."_ did she know that voice? _" You bet I have babydoll!"_ and she certainly knew that one!

Her attention was drawn to the now very smug, very amused Sylar who had laid himself out on the creaky motel bed, his hands tucked behind his neck and his feet hanging off the end.

"What the hell? Are you about to tell me that that is us?" Claire gasped, raising her hand in the direction of the joining wall. Sylar opened his mouth to confirm her suspicions but was once again cut short by the voices from the next room, _"Oh my God, baby that's so good, please don't stop!" _There really was no denying that was Claire's voice, all be it an octave higher than it usually was. With that Sylar threw his head back and let out a loud satisfied laugh.

"You'll have drugged me, or used some ill gotten power to make me comply with you! You're attacking me!" she ran over to the telephone by the bed where he was sprawled. All the time the erotic noises from next-door flooded the otherwise silent room.

"Yeah, really sounds like I'm doing that against your will doesn't it Claire?" Sylar reasoned as a constant banging began in an obscene rhythm, the headboard from the next room colliding with their adjoining wall.

Eyes pinned on him, Claire raised the phone to her ear and dialed for reception, "Hello...yes, this is room 14. Could you please check on room 13? I think there may be a woman in distress." Claire cringed as Sylar buried his face in a battered motel pillow and howled with laughter. "...yes I think you should check to see if she needs any help". As if on cue the banging on the wall picked up pace, the voices giving way to animalistic moans and groans. Claire replaced the handset as Sylar held his ribs trying to compose himself, "Needs any help?" he mimicked her, "Sounds like we're doing just fine to me Babydoll!" he choked out the words between chuckles.

Claire dropped herself on the bed next to him; shoulders slumped in a posture that suggested defeat. She gave him an irritated sideways look, "Don't call me that". Propping himself up on one arm, almost curling himself around her body he smiled warmly, "Why not, it's your nickname?"

Claire looked down at him, in the dim light of the dingy motel room he didn't seem the least bit threatening, a long strand of hair hung down over his deep expressive eyes and his lips were pursed in an almost goofy manner. Moments like these always threw her, it was so easy to see him as some 2D monster but when he was sat beside her like that he was just a man, which in turn made her feel like just a woman.

For a few seconds they just looked at each other. Ironically the moment was broken by the couple in the room beside them who were clearly a little further on in their courtship, the sounds now had descended into a stream of profanities, _"Fuck...oh...my...God. Gabriel!"_ Claire felt her skin flushing in an embarrassed glow; she bit down hard on her lip.

_"Oh Claire, so...good...Jesus...Christ!" _Surprising himself Sylar found he too grew embarrassed; his reaction was to laugh like a school boy. Without thought he hid his face, pressing it flat against Claire's arm. Claire did not pull away but joined him in childish laughter. Their joviality did not cease until the sounds echoing from the next room had stopped.

They both lay side by side on the bed, not touching but more comfortable in one another's company than ever before. Claire turned her head slightly and looked at the figure besides her, "This place kinda reminds me of this lame vacation my Dad took us on when I was a kid..." Claire began her story,"...it was Christmas eve and my Dad had this big plan of taking us to Disney land for the Christmas parades. It was kind of a big deal because up until then he had always had to work at Christmas" she spoke quietly into the moonlit room. Sylar marveled at how relaxed she looked, laying there right next to him, "So what happened?" he prompted.

"My Dad insisted we stopped off at this particular diner, I remember it had to be that specific diner. He made some excuse about the waffles being the best in the state but...when we returned to our car the it wouldn't start..." a slow realisation crept over Claire, it had never occurred to her before. She had never pieced together the fragments of that childhood memory. "...so we ended up renting out a motel room. My Mom wanted to rent out a couple, you know so we weren't all cramped up together but my Dad said he wanted us all together" she cleared her throat to cover up her breaking voice,"...I always thought it was because he wanted us to be together at Christmas, that that was all that mattered to him...but that wasn't his reason was it?" she sounded fragile. He wanted so badly to reach out to her, but if she rejected him now he knew it would break him, even more than all of the times before.

"No...but he was probably trying to protect you Claire, your father loves you...you're lucky." She scoffed at Sylars reasoning but quickly realised what he meant, she had often wondered about his parents but never had the opportunity or nerve to ask about them.

"What about your Dad, you're adopted right?" Claire held her breath as the words left her, worried that maybe this was a step too far.

Turning towards her a little more he took a shallow breath, "Sold" The word hung in the air.

"Sold?" Claire repeated the word back at him as a question.

"Yeah, I wasn't adopted, I was sold." his tone was so matter of fact, but she could sense a tense undercurrent. "My father, my real father he sold me and then killed my mother. I think I was about five or six" his voice trailed off as he made the connection in his mind that he was about Noah's age when he lost his mother. The comparison brought home just how vulnerable he had been and the pain he thought was dead welled up once more in his gut. He was shook from his turmoil by the feeling of Claire's pinky finger brushing lightly against the back of his hand.

"Oh my God...poor boy." he knew she was referring to the child he once was, but the feeling of her skin voluntarily against his sent a much needed spark of hope shooting through him.

They remained silent for a few moments, listening to the sound of one another's steady breathing. Sylar was close to drifting to sleep when Claire's voice roused him, "Are we good parents?" he let her question roll around his head for a split second, before turning to face her, moving gradually closer to her on the ill fitting bed.

"In the future I mean, you mentioned a son. Are we good parents to him?" she continued. She rolled her eyes as Sylar unleashed a smile that would have made the sun squint. She knew all too well that, that last sentence had been surrender. She was finally beginning to believe him.

"His name's Noah and we're great parents. You're an amazing Mom, really...the best." the sincerity in his voice blew her away. She grinned back at him, "Tell me about him, what's he like?"

Claire's sudden excitement and curiosity about their son illuminated Sylar to the point that he was beaming, every inch the proud Dad,"He's perfect Claire, he's just the most perfect little guy in all creation" he raved.

Without thought Claire grabbed a hold of his hand intertwining her fingers with his in an effort to bring him back down to earth, "Of course he is, but you know…what is he _like?_ Is he like you or like me? What's he in to? Is he short like me or tall like you?" She knew she was babbling but suddenly she felt like she needed to know.

Grinning like an idiot Sylar propped himself up with his free hand, "Well for a start he's six, from what I could gather he likes Spiderman and, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe."

"Oh I love that book!" Claire gripped on to his hand a little tighter.

Sylar nodded in agreement, "I know, me too. I'm reading it to him…well future me is. And he kinda looks like me, but he has your skin" he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as though examining it closely.

When he looked up Claire was staring back in wonder at him, he'd never seen that look on her face before but he knew he sure as hell liked it.

"Gabriel…" she whispered, his name sounding alien coming from her lips.

"Yeah?" he returned.

"Take me to him? I wanna see him, just once."


	12. Chapter 12

Hello fellow Sylaire fans! So here's chapter 12. Hope you like it! Thanks so so sooooo much for your continued support. The reviews have been so encouraging, you're the best.

**Chapter 12**

Encasing Claires hand in his Sylar teleported them from the dreary motel room, satisfied that he had made his point. He neglected to tell Claire that he didn't really have a clue where he was taking them. He just had to wish for a place and a year and hope that they materialized there. He would never mock Peter for his time travelling mishaps ever again...well not for a while at least.

In a flash they found themselves in a garden, it wasn't particularly grand but there was enough room for a slide and a sand pit. The lawn was a healthy green with the occasional dot of red or blue, upon closer inspection Claire realised that the dots were toy cars, left there by one not so careful owner. They stood behind a thick conifer tree at the far side of the garden so not to alert anyone to their presence.

"Mommy...Mommy...watch me!" a whirlwind of chocolate brown hair and golden skin charged out of the near by house, over to the slide and began to climb.

Brushing Claires blonde waves away from her ear Sylar whispered,"That's him". He couldn't see the look on her face but is was one of pure astonishment, her jaw was slack as she tried to comprehend the little boy only a few yards in front of her. "He's..." the simple power of speech escaped her, looking at the boy and back at Sylar and back to the boy again.

"Ours." Sylar finished her sentence for her. Claire raised her hand to rest on her chest as though to slow the beating there. "He's beautiful!" she exclaimed. Sylar was torn between looking Noah and admiring the euphoric look on his future wife's face when all of a sudden to his dismay Claire's expression changed to one of horror. There was a loud thud and the sound of a child's cry. Noah had lost his footing and fallen off of the slide. He turned back to look at Claire and she was gone. He had never seen her run so fast and boy had he seen her run. Any worries or reservations that he may have had about how Claire would take to their son were erased there and then. He watched in awe as Claire raced to Noah's side and scooped him up in to her arms and fussed over him in a way only mothers do.

"It's ok honey, susshhh" Claire cooed placing a kiss onto his forehead and checked him over for cuts and grazes. Miraculously there wasn't a mark on him. Noah rested his head on his Moms shoulder and began to calm down. She stood in the middle of the unfamiliar garden, immersed in the hug, tears threatening, overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. The moment was broken by Noah's gentle laughter over her shoulder, "Why's Dad hiding?" he asked in a impish voice.

Realising he had been totally sprung by his six year old son Sylar emerged from behind the tree, hands up in surrender,"Hey Buddy, you got me!". Wandering over to them he couldn't help but smile at the view.

"What?" Claire asked as he approached.

"Nothing." his eyes lingered on the child in her arms. He wanted to tell her that motherhood suited her and that they really ought to give Noah brothers and sisters but he opted for keeping his big mouth shut, settling for savouring the moment.

Claires attention was drawn to the near by French windows and more importantly the sound of a woman clearing her throat rather loudly behind them, as if trying to gain her attention. In no time at all Noah and Sylar were chattering away about Transformers or Xmen...boy stuff she surmised. Handing the little boy over to his father Claire decided to investigate the source of the sound. Stepping through the French windows, Claire felt a firm tap on her shoulder spinning around she was faced with the most bizarre sight of her life...herself.

"Hey! 2011 right?" Claires future self smiled to her warmly. Claire just stared back for a few moments dumbfounded,"Yeah...that's right" she confirmed, her voice came out a lot higher than she had meant it too. Luckily Claires future counterpart seemed less perturbed, "Pretty strange huh? Meeting your future son, and future self all in one day? Come with me, Noah shouldn't see us together. I don't fancy the task of explaining time travel to a six year old, even one as bright as mine. I've been expecting you actually. Gabe never was good at keeping a secret." Claire nodded, bemused by the situation as she was lead by the hand into a bright homely kitchen that overlooked the garden.

Claire sat mute watching her future self rush around the sun lit room making them tea. She some how looked older, not that she had aged but there was a maturity there that Claire knew she did not poses yet.

This had to go down as one of the most surreal things she had ever done, this maybe even topped waking up on a mortuary slab with her ribcage exposed. Sitting drinking tea with herself, her _future_ self in her _future_ kitchen. Bizarre. She knew she should talk, ask questions try and make use of this incredibly unique opportunity but her head was a mess, it was all she could do not to pass out. The older wiser Claire seemed better rehearsed in these kind of situations.

Resting her chin on the back of her hand, the older woman looked at her younger self with a sympathetic glow,"Hmm 2011...what a year that was. You're probably feeling quite conflicted right now."

"Not really, I hate him it's pretty simple actually." Claire took a sip of her tea and hoped that she sounded convincing.

Her statement was met with a sceptical look, "Ok you keep telling yourself that honey!"

This annoyed the younger girl, causing her to sit up straight and assert herself, "What's that supposed to mean? He's a monster for Gods sake!" she whined frustrated, realising that she was trying to convince herself as much as she was the woman in front of her. To her great irritation her future self didn't appear to be listening to her, instead she was gazing out of the window, Claire leaned over to check the view.

Sylar and Noah sat side by side fixing what looked to be Optimus Prime, who had been the real casualty in the recent slide falling incident. Realising that their repair attempt had been a success, Sylar raised his hand for Noah to give him a high five. Looking slyly at the look of adoration on Claires face her older self nudged her playfully,"Yeah, some monster huh?"

Claire merely huffed in response, unwilling to admit her true feelings, but unable to take her eyes of the pair in the garden. Noah looked just like a little version of his Dad, he hung on his every word and looked at him like he was his hero. And in turn Sylar seemed different around him, he was gentle and patient, a virtue that he'd never possessed even after the whole,"Trapped in Matt Parkmans head" thing. From this angle he didn't look like the boogie man of her teenage years, he looked like a Dad, and a good one at that.

Determined to push the issue future Claire continued, "So you're telling me you've not started noticing him more?"

Folding her arms Claire sat back in her chair like a sulking child, her defences well and truly up,"Pft! No!"

"So, you didn't find yourself practically drooling over him at Peter's birthday barbecue? You know when he tripped and spilled his beer all down him and had to take off his shirt? That had no effect on you at all huh?" she teased, grinning like a Cheshire cat, her green eyes shining with mischief.

Claire squirmed uncomfortable in her chair,"I don't know what you mean." she sighed unable to look her double in the face.

"CLAIRE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I AM YOU!I WAS THERE!" Future Claire pointed out, wondering if it would actually count as assault if she smacked her younger self up the side of the head. To her relief she noted the beginnings of a begrudged bashful smile creeping over the girls face.

"Ok, there was that once. He's took me by surprise though, I mean I wasn't expecting him to look like THAT!" she confessed, feeling her cheeks begin to burn.

"And that look he gives you, the goofy smile that gives you butterflies?"

An uncontrolled scoff escaped Claires mouth and she scrunched her eyes closed as though she had been caught out.

Looking utterly victorious her older self could not resist adding,"...don't be embarrassed, that look still gives me butterflies now, gets him away with all sorts!"

"Ok so he's hot, I admit it, he's gorgeous but ..." Claire bit her lip, pausing for time as she tried to piece together her argument.

"But what? Look what you're fighting against?" future Claire raised her hand gesturing in the direction of Sylar and Noah who now seemed to be engaged in a game of tag or something to that effect, either way Claire had noticed that Sylar kept letting Noah win.

Claire looked back at her older self, her eyes cloudy, she didn't know weather to laugh or cry, "I'm not ready."

Reaching out a comforting hand, future Claire tucked a stray strand of hair behind Claires ear,"That's ok, but when you are ready, just don't fight it. Just because you have all the time in the world, that doesn't mean you should waste it". 


	13. Chapter 13

Ok guys, sorry for dragging my arse on this one. It's been a busy week! Here's chapter 13. Big huge thankyous to **Smithsbabe65** for bouncing around ideas with me and generally being supportive and awesome. And of course to everyone who continues to read and review, you please me greatly, I can't thank you enough.

**Chapter 13**

**2019**

For the first time Claire took a moment to really take in her surroundings, her eyes were particularly drawn to the refrigerator, there were so many collages and drawings secured on to its door. It appeared young Noah was quite the little artist; _he must get that from his Dad_ Claire surmised. Amongst the various pictures of Daleks, Spiderman and Wolverine there was a photograph of herself. She appeared to be sat on a swing, in a playground somewhere. She was holding Noah on her lap, who couldn't have been more than one the time the picture was taken, he was beaming away at the camera with a big toothless grin, the most angelic looking child she had ever seen. Behind them, with one arm resting possessively but gently around her neck and the other arm stretched forward as far as possible, presumably holding the camera towards them and taking the picture was Sy...Gabriel.

They both looked the same but different Claire considered. Both of them of course had not aged a day, they never would, but Gabriel looked all together more comfortable with himself. He was wearing a gray hooded sweater and thick framed glasses; his hair was a little longer than normal but still slicked back off of his face. Looking at herself she saw that she had clearly decided to take the plunge and dye her hair dark shortly before or after their son was born, perhaps in an attempt to look a little more mature? Or maybe just for the hell of it? Either way she was glad she had seen sense and dyed it back to her original blonde, it suited her better.

Wandering over to the picture for a better look Claire spoke up, "What's he like?"

Her future self was busy clearing away their now empty tea cups, "Who?" she responded absently, not quite giving her full attention.

"_Your_ Gabriel" Claire clarified, his given name still feeling alien as it tripped off of her tongue.

"Pretty much like yours I guess honey!" Future Claire scoffed placing the cups into the sink.

"I know, I know but what's it like living with him? What's he _like_" she pondered, running single digit over the photograph.

The older woman turned around to face Claire, resting her hands on her hips in an action reminiscent of Sandra Bennett. It was true, we really do turn into our mothers, "He's a pain in the ass sometimes" she smirked, "He's a total neat freak, forever picking my stuff up an putting it away, he always fiddles with the radio when I'm driving..." her eyes suddenly fell on the picture that Claire was also fixated on, and a warm smile flooded her features,"... but he's _my_ pain in the ass. He's funny, God that guy can make me laugh, and he's sweet...warm and vulnerable." She toyed with a dish cloth in her hands as though drawn off into her own world, there was no mistaking the genuine affection she felt for the subject of her musings.

For the first time in several minutes Claire turned from the picture to face her future self, "Really?" She questioned in a somewhat doubtful voice.

"Really" Future Claire confirmed with a firm nod that slowly turned in to a thoughtful half smile, "Hey, I may have an idea." Claire could almost hear the cogs turning, "Why don't you meet him? Switch places with me for tonight. You get to meet _my_ Gabriel and I get to go back in time with hot stuff out there?" Future Claire nodded in the direction of the garden, where Noah and Gabriel were still running around. Claire looked back at her through narrowed eyes, utterly unconvinced, holding up her hands, "Whoa whoa whoa, I'm not sure about that!"

Still throwing the dish cloth around future Claire pursed her lips, "Oh come on it will be fun, just like a movie or something! I swear if you just meet him, he'll set your mind at rest. You just need to see the _real _Gabriel. I defy you not to fall in love with him!" the tone of her voice was unwavering, that was it; the challenge was set.

Claire covered her face with her hand and shook her head, "You're crazy you know that? This whole thing is crazy...just crazy! Peter will FREAK!" Instantly her future self waved her hand in dismissal of her concerns, "Oh you leave Pete to me, you and me both know we can wrap him around our little finger! I'll need to leave you notes though, this place doesn't run itself." Future Claire clucked taking Claire's accusation that she was in fact, "crazy" as compliance.

Before she knew it Claire was bombarded with a, "to do" list as long as he arm.

"Noah goes to bed at 8; don't let him go later because he'll just be cranky in the morning. He'll push his luck because sometimes Gabe lets him stay up later and fall asleep on the couch, so you'll have to stand your ground on that one…ironically somewhere along the line I became bad cop!" Future Claire chuckled to herself peering into the oven at the casserole she had prepared, "Dinner should be ready for around 6.30. And _do not _ let Noah, or Gabriel for that matter feed the dog from the table..." she concluded with a theatrical sigh,"...they both do that when they think I'm not looking!"

Claire stared back at herself shell-shocked. "You have to be kidding, we're not really going through with this?" but her pleas were ignored.

"I don't even know _your_ Gabriel!" Claire began to fret as her older self pulled on her shoes and made her way towards the door.

"Sure you do honey! He's like your Gabriel with a few more miles on the clock!"

Claire chased herself around the house, concern rapidly turning into panic, "Stop saying that! He's not _my_ Gabriel, there's no such thing as _my _Gabriel…wait…you can't just leave me like this!" Turning on her heels, future Claire, in an almost motherly gesture cupped her younger self's face,"Honey, I hate to throw you in at the deep end…"

"Then don't!" the younger girl interjected.

"…but this is for your own good, trust me, I'm you. Would I do anything to hurt you?"

"I guess not." Claire agreed grudgingly.

"Good girl, you'll love him, I just know it! Have fun!" Her last sentence was punctuated with a knowing smile...maybe even a wink.

"Wait, you're going now?" Claire hung on to the door frame, unwilling to step into the view of Noah, who she would no doubt end up explaining the dynamics of time travel to should she be seen, "Hello! You're abandoning me! This is very irresponsible Claire!" she yelled after herself hoping it would prick the older woman's conscience, however it did not.

Noah was immersed in color coordinating his toy cars, Claire watched from the doorway as her future self took _her_Gabriel by the hand in a very sultry manner and whispered to him, explaining her plan. Even from her disadvantaged position she could see the bashful smile that it drew from him and a pang of something sharp hit her deep in her chest...what was that, jealousy? Before she could chastise herself for being totally ridiculous they were gone.

Oh snap.

**2019**

After about a half an hour of exploring her future home and watching an episode of Ben Ten with Noah, Claire found herself gazing out of the kitchen window once again, clasping yet another cup of tea. Her mother always swore by its calming properties but it currently wasn't doing much for Claire, her nerves were still frayed. She wasn't sure she was cut out for this time travelling stuff. Especially not the heavy handed approach that Gabriel seemed to take to it! _Hmm_, she paused, _when did he stop being Sylar and start being Gabriel? _she wondered to herself.

She didn't have long to ponder that one, she was shook from her thoughts as two strong and really quite hairy arms entwined around her waist from behind and drew her in to a tight hold, she felt stubble graze the delicate skin of her neck as a half kiss half bite was placed on her jaw. Instantly her body was rigid, and a small involuntary yelp escaped her mouth.

Forcing herself to relax into the embrace she tried to regain her composure, her surprised reaction had earned her a low mischievous laugh from Gabriel, "What's up Babe, did I make you jump?"

"Mmm...Something like that. I didn't hear you come in." she breathed the words out as if trying to exhale her anxiety.

"Probably couldn't hear me over "Ben Ten" huh?" he concluded, reaffirming his hold on her, "So, did you have a good day off work? Did you miss me?" he playfully fired the questions to her in between laying wet kisses from her ear to her collar bone. _Why the hell does that feel so nice?_ She was suddenly glad of his warm body behind hers as her knees turned to jell-o.

"Yeah it was fine, I guess" she turned herself around expecting him to step back and release her but he didn't, he kept his arms encircled around her and closed the distance between them, zoning in for a kiss.

As their lips met she expected many things, revulsion, hatred, her phantom gag reflex, hell the last time he had put the moves on her she had stabbed him in the eye with a pencil! She was not however expecting her heart to start beating manically through her chest, or to suddenly feel like they were only two human beings on the planet...or to lose the power of speech, hearing and thought all in one damn go! _How was he doing that? _The kiss was slow and gentle, his lips brushing hers intimately, his tongue just daring to brush hers.

With a lazy smile he pulled away, she had never noticed how long his eyelashes were, they were thick and dark, perfectly framing those intense eyes of his. Claire found that she was transfixed by them, her jaw hanging slightly open. Raising his hand Gabriel gently but playfully cupped her chin and shut it for her, with a look that was a mixture of pride and bewilderment.

"Are you sure you're ok Babe?" he furrowed his brow pulling back from her to get a better look at her face, "You seem...kinda freaked out or something?"

Shaking herself Claire gave her best saccharine sweet smile, "Oh honey I'm fine, you just took me unawares that's all" she craned her neck to meet his eyes, their height difference was crazy at this proximity.

Leaning down to place one last kiss on her forehead he accepted her reply with a shrug, "Ok, I'm gonna go shower before dinner."

Claire felt her legs buckle as she watched him make his way to the stairs, _what was happening to her?_


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey Guys! Here it is, bit of a long chapter but it is split into two parts. I wa****s unsure where to take this one, opinion was well and truly divided. Thanks so much for sticking with the story guys, means a lot to me :-)**

**Chapter 14**

**2011. Claire and Gabriel**

Gabriel let them into the apartment.

"Oh my God, it's so weird being back here!" Claire seemed to twirl into the hallway as though she were entering a grand museum. With a sigh of relief Gabriel remembered that Peter was working late shifts this week. He didn't particularly wish to explain why he was sneaking around with his darling niece who had suddenly taken to calling everyone, "Honey" and grown her hair a good five inches longer than it was yesterday over night.

"Aww, we had some good times here..." she patted the couch cushions, looking at them with a sentimental gait that left Gabriel wondering what she was referring to.

"Did we?" Gabriel asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he kicked off his shoes and sat himself down beside her.

Claire smirked in return, biting her lip at the memory, only too aware that it was one that Gabriel had not had the pleasure of living out yet. In one fluid graceful movement she swung a slender leg over his lap to sit atop of him, facing him completely, resting her hands at his sides. This obviously came quite naturally to Claire, but Gabriel was not used to such tactile affection, he suddenly found that didn't know where to put his hands. Sensing his apprehension, Claire took a hold of them and rested them on her hips. He was grateful of her these small acts of guidance that she kept giving him.

Gabriel felt self conscious under the gaze of her pretty green eyes, "What?" he asked, looking every bit the rabbit in headlights.

"Oh nothing, I just forgot how shy you used to be in the beginning..."she tilted her head and brushed a stowaway strand of hair out of his eyes. Sensing his unease Claire opted to change the subject, clasping her hands together she rolled her eyes mischievously, "I wonder how little old me is getting on with _future_ you." she absently toyed with the buttons of his shirt.

"I don't know...I hope she's not angry at me for leaving her. Not that she isn't _always_ angry at me" Gabriel raised a well shaped eyebrow considering he was actually talking about the woman currently sat on his lap.

"Oh don't worry about that! I'm sure Gabe..."she paused remembering who she was talking to,"..._my_Gabe will take care of her."

He couldn't help noticing that glint in her eye, the way she looked so pleased with herself. _W__hat was she alluding too?_

Unable to let that last sentence go he bit, "What do you mean, _Take care of?"_ He asked, unsure if he wanted the answer.

"Oh come on Gabe, do you really need me to draw you a picture? He thinks she's me, or at least I hope he does. He's probably going to _"take care of her..."_She waggled her fingers in the air to punctuate the saying. "...just the same way as you _"took care" _of me when you did your little time travelling bit! "

Claire tried to hide her amusement as he clearly grappled with the thought of his future self deflowering _his_ Claire.

"No. No...she'd not go for that." he shook his head vehemently, trying to convince himself,"I've tried kissing her before, and it didn't end well for me."

Claire's hand shot up to cover her eyes as though she were mortified by the memory, stifling a chortle she gave him a playful apologetic glance from between her fingers, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Finally she rested her hand on top of his on her hip.

Walking her fingers up his chest in a playful motion, ensuring that his eyes followed them all the way she thought out loud, "_My_ husband does have his ways though, he's very persuasive...he'll know all the right things to say...and do."

Gabriel winced, visibly agitated at her words, "I'm sure he does but it's hardly fair is it Claire? I've been working my ass off to try and get her to just be my friend, just to see me as something other than a monster and one little trip to the future and she just falls in to his arms! Jesus, what was I thinking, why did I let you convince me this was a good idea?" he folded his arms across his chest and huffed.

Still not willing to go along with his surly mood, Claire reached out and playfully knocked on his head in a brief,"_anyone at home_" gesture, "Hello, he's you? You're the same guy. How can you be mad?" she tried to pry one of his hands from his chest but he was having none of it.

In a low mumble he bit out a reply, "Well I'm sorry but that's just not much comfort right now ok, he's got my girl and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"And you have his girl, right here in your lap! You and he are THE SAME GUY! Jesus for someone so smart you can be a real brain donor you know that?"

Gabriel remained silent, looking past Claire to the corner of the room, sulking like a child. He knew she was right but that sure as hell didn't mean that he had to admit it.

Luckily future Claire seemed to have gained a whole truck load more patience in her extra years, she let her hand stay on his even though he refused to hold it in return. Her other hand ran leisurely through her silken hair. Looking at her reluctantly, from the corner of his eye Gabriel thought that maybe she was trying to think up words that might placate him. He was right.

"Well technically you banged his wife a couple of nights ago." Claire's nose wrinkled as she said the words, knowing it was a poor attempt at comforting him, and not particularly liking the term,"banged".

Raising a defensive finger Gabriel instantly shot back,"That's not the same and you know it!"

Frustrated, Claire let her body slump down on to his and rested her head on his shoulder. He assumed he had won their little argument until she raised her face to his ear to speak in no more than a whisper.

"It's not so bad baby..." her breath on his earlobe caused him to relent with his arm folding and grab a hold of her hips. "...you wanna know something?" _Dear God why does she have to be so hot?_

Trying to maintain his dignity he managed a quick,"Hmmm" in way of an answer.

"The first time we had sex, you made me yours. After that, I knew I would never even look at another guy...and I never have, not ever. You ruined me." He knew she was playing to his ego and the fact that she was pretty much sat on the erection that was now growing almost painful in his pants, but she wasn't lying, she was telling the absolute truth.

**2019 Gabriel, Claire and Noah.**

Dinner had been more fun than she had anticipated; it was kinda funny to see Noah and Gabriel trying to be sneaky together, giving Mr Muggles food under the table. Future Claire's orders rang in her ears but she couldn't find it in herself to chastise them. _It served her future self right for leaving her there in the first place, right?_

Afterwards she busied herself in the kitchen, trying to cling on to mundane duties like clearing the dishes in order to ignore how absolutely bat crap crazy this whole situation was. She scrubbed each surface until it gleamed, but eventually she had to admit that there really was nothing else left to do other than go sit with her,"_family_".

Hovering in the doorway to the living room she took in the site before her, Noah head to toe in Spiderman PJ's, his Dads arm slung over his little shoulders, both of them gawping at the television set with the exact same engrossed expression on their faces. She hated to admit it to herself but she could feel her heart melting like butter.

Realising the time she held out her hand in Noah's direction, "Noah Honey, it's time for bed! Come on!"

His response was to look up at her, with the epitome of puppy dog eyes and a pout that would shame Paris Hilton,"But Mooooooom, its Star Trek night, I always get to stay up on Star Trek night"

Before she could stand her ground Gabriel chimed in to back up his son, turning to look at her, his huge brown eyes made even bigger by his thick rimmed spectacles, "Yeah Mom, it's Star Trek night!" his comical expression was not lost on Claire. Knowing full well this was rule number two she was breaking Claire caved in, how could her future self manage to say, "No" to them? She was totally outnumbered with cuteness!

"Oh..." she fiddled with the hair band that she had secured around her wrist,"...budge up then!" Claire shuffled on to the couch next to Noah who was clearly both ecstatic and surprised by his victory.

_An evening watching Star Trek...how hard could it be right?_

Claire soon found that although Gabriel and Noah were thoroughly enraptured by,"The City on the Edge of Forever" she was not, her eyelids were so heavy that she finally had to stop springing them back open and just accept that she was going to have to take a nap...just for a little while.

She awoke to the repeated swipe of the Enterprise doors playing out over and over on the DVD menu and the room was lit only by a small table lamp in the corner. It must have been late. She would have reached for the TV remote but was stopped by none other than Gabriel's head, resting in her lap, he was peacefully zzz'ing away, his glasses rested on the coffee table and his hair was a matted mess splayed out over her denim clad thighs.

In turn Noah was fast asleep, half on the couch half on Gabriel's chest, held in place by one strong arm around his middle.

Gently stroking her fingers through his hair Claire took the opportunity to really look at the man sleeping before her. He looked so innocent lying there like that, she ran a daring finger over his cheek bone, in an unconscious reaction to her attentions the long eyelashes that rested atop of his cheeks fluttered and he nuzzled his face closer to her in his sleep. She concluded that he had never looked _less_ like the boogieman.

The suggestion that one day she might love him, agree to be his wife and have a child with him had always sounded absurd to her in the past, she had been so sure that he could never make her happy. But now, faced with the evidence, right there in front of her she felt her steely resolve begin to crack.

All the reasons to reject him, to fight the attraction she felt to him, they seemed so far away now.

Before she could come to any life altering conclusions, Gabriel started to stir, stretching out his impossibly long legs and raising his free hand to rub his eyes. As his eyes blinking open he shot her a sleepy smile that gave her butterflies.

Momentarily looking down at Noah he looked sheepish, "Ah, guess who's gonna be grouchy tomorrow." he pulled the sleeping little boy closer in to a hug. She had thought it would be strange seeing him being a Dad, but he was so good at it that it seemed perfectly natural. Claire just looked back mute, wishing secretly that she could take a picture of the two of them to remind her how perfect the moment had felt.

Snuggling his face into Noah's hair a little, Gabriel looked up at her with a bashful smile and narrowed eyes, "So what year are you from Babe?"

His accusation hit her straight out of the blue; her mind raced trying to think of an explanation.

"Let me see, blonde hair, shoulder length, and still wearing those earrings your dad gave you for your eighteenth? 2012? 2013? Am I right?" he teased, not bothering to move his head from her lap.

Claire decided that the game was up, she was a bad liar at the best of times, let alone against someone as power loaded as Gabriel, "Twenty eleven! How did you know?"

His eyes sparkled, enjoying the oneupmanship,"Claire!" he whispered so as not to wake the child sleeping on his chest,"...do you really think I don't know my own wife?" he clicked his tongue, pretending to be offended. "Built in lie detector.." he added tapping his temples. "Plus ..._my_ Claire hates Star Trek" he concluded his deductions with a self-satisfied grin.

Claire rolled her eyes, willing herself not to blush, _since when did Gabriel just looking at her make her blush?_

"It wasn't my idea! You..._past you_...brought me here to show me how we were meant to be together! Then _future_ me thought it would be fun for me to spend the night, before I could argue they just upped n left me here!" she glared down at him, smacking her forehead at how stupid it all sounded.

"Oh, Claire you're so damn sneaky!" She was unsure if he was talking directly to her, or just making a general comment to himself about his time travelling wife. Strangely he seemed completely unfazed by the situation, maybe this was a common occurrence in 2019?

"Well, better get the space cadet to bed..." Her eyes followed him as he sat himself and Noah up off of her, in a manoeuvre that was clearly well practiced.

"...you coming too?" he added, his hair tussled from where he'd been laid on her.

Claire remained seated a few seconds longer. _Ah. Yes . Bed. **gulp**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Claire and Gabriel 2011**

Pleased with the revelation that he had indeed ruined Claire for all other men, Gabriel felt daring, "Oh yeah, how did I manage that?" he asked, her head still resting on his collarbone, her every breath brushing his neck driving him a little bit crazy.

"Let's just say once you go _super-powered villain_…you never go back." She soothed letting her fingertips dance up and down his bare arms.

In an instant he pulled her up to face him, gripping her arms roughly, her body complying as though she were a rag doll.

"Damn it Gabriel what is with you?" Claire growled between her teeth.

He was unsure what the feeling was that was rumbling in his chest, but it felt like fire, "I AM NOT A _VILLAIN_ ANYMORE CLAIRE! " he squeezed his fists around her slender arms, cutting off her circulation and finally throwing her off of his lap so that she landed with her back on the couch, "You have no idea how hard it has been! Is this some silly little game for you? What? You're bored with your life so you wanna come back here and play around with the _monster_? " his voice bounced off the walls of the otherwise silent apartment.

Clearly vexed by his outburst, Claire's seemingly never ending patience was wearing thin, pulling herself up off of the couch and straightening herself out she stood up, squaring herself up to his towering frame. With all 5 foot of her blazing up at him she finally cracked, "Oh let me get this straight. You show up, in _my_ garden, with _my_ past self and I am the one at fault here? This is so typically you, you never want to admit you might be wrong! And you can drop the self pity, no one here is calling you a monster but yourself! "

He brought his face down to hers, ready to spit words like venom in her face, " It wasn't my idea for us to leave her…you …in the future so that she ends up getting jumped by a guy who thinks she's his wife, what do you think this is? Some warped episode of_, Wife Swap?"_

"_IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT_?" Claire pushed her palms against his chest throwing him back a few inches, "Jesus Christ Gabriel! You're right, you're not a villain…you're a man! You think with your dick! I left her there because I thought she might need to see that one day you actually grow the f**k up! "

Gabriel couldn't help noticing that when she was angry she actually became red from her feet upwards, his eyes lingered on the rosy color as it crept up her chest to her neck like lava…if he hadn't been so outraged at the attitude she was displaying he would have probably found it fascinating.

"...are you quite finished?" he droned, trying his hardest to be as patronizing as possible.

Missing his words entirely Claire continued with her attack,"…oh and don't flatter yourself sweetheart…" she stuck one pristine finger in to his chest,"…if I _were_ bored with my life the last place I would look for excitement is here! For your information _we're. doing. just. fine!_" her voice was as loaded with spite and malice, it couldn't have been more obvious what she meant. _His_ Claire was currently eight years in the future with _her_ Gabriel. Hell, future Gabe was probably having her in ways that he'd not even thought up yet!

That thought cut a valley down his very soul; this whole day was turning in to a nightmare. He knew it was irrational to be consumed with jealousy for your future self but he had always thought that Claire's,"first time" would be with him_._Him now, not him years in the future when he'd already been married to her for God knows how many years. As corny as it may have sounded to anyone else, he thought it would be _special. _Inwardly he belittled himself for thinking such things, the anger burned and twisted in his guts. Balling his hands into fists he fought the urge to go feral ,"Claire, if you know what is good for you, you'll not say another word."

His words were measured; he was breathing hard battling to stay in control of himself.

"DON'T YOU DARE THREATEN ME GABRIEL! YOU DON'T SCARE ME ANYMORE!" Claire's shrill voice rang in his ears as a red mist descended the likes of which he hadn't felt in months. He could feel the force that he had come to know as,"_Sylar"_battling to get out, to take charge and remind Claire why she _should_ still be scared of him. Not knowing what else to do with himself, he fled to the bathroom and locked the door behind him, not with the intent of locking Claire out but in a vain attempt to lock _Sylar_ in.

He slumped heavy on the floor by the wash basin and buried his head in his hands, at that moment he felt every bit the failure that his mother had said he was. He sat there for long minutes, licking his wounds, going over every soul destroying comment that his she had ever made, he never did get anything right, he was weak and pathetic. He'd even managed to mess it up with _future_ Claire, the one who had loved him in the first place. How did that happen? If he had had the foresight to take Stephen Canfield's ability when he had the chance he would have opened up a vortex right there and then and thrown himself into it.

**Knock knock**

"Gabe, are you ok Honey?" Claire's gentle voice came from the other side of the door, her rage had seemingly dissipated. But he didn't want her to see him like this, defeated and tear streaked; God knows he didn't have a lot of dignity left to cling on to. So he didn't answer her.

**Knock knock**

"Come on baby, don't do this. I don't want to fight tonight. Just open up the door n we'll go watch some stupid TV in bed or something." she cooed. He was tempted at her offer, he wondered if that's what they did in the future when they argued, just made their peace and did something mindless together. Still, his self loathing got the better of him and his reflex was to try and push her away.

"Just go away, leave me the hell alone!" he meant to scream the words, in the hope that she would run but they came out more of a bedraggled sob.

There was no answer for a few seconds; he assumed she had complied with his request. This began more wallowing, he found himself wishing that she had at least put up a little bit more of an argument; he was busy with his thoughts when the door flung open, Claire stood the behind it, with a dismantled hair grip poised between her fingers and a look of accomplishment splashed across her delicate features.

He arched those unmistakable eyebrows and questioned,"...how?"

Sitting herself on the floor besides him on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor she held up the now thoroughly useless hair grip, "Oh you'd be amazed what you learn when you have a six year old who's takes after his Daddy when it comes to sulking in the bathroom."

Rubbing his eyes, he couldn't help but throw her a weak smile at the mention of Noah.

Claire snuck a hand over to his and held it tightly, "I'm sorry I was mean…" she rested her head on his shoulder,"…I kinda forgot that I wasn't just arguing with _my_ Gabriel, I pushed you too far."

"Do we argue a lot? In the future I mean?" he asked, reaching his arm around her and pulling her close to his side.

"Like cat and dog…" She rested her head against his chest, letting him hold her,"…but it never amounts to anything, and it's always fun making up." she added with a glint of mischief in her voice. Raising her face to meet his, she fixed her emerald eyes on his, "So…wanna let me make it up to you?" she purred, tracing her fingertips along his denim clad thighs.

**Gabriel and Claire 2019**

Claire sat rigid on the kind size bed that her future self shared with Gabriel, her hands buried under her legs. Gabriel was tucking Noah in to his bed down the hall. What was the deal here? He wasn't going to expect her to…? Nah…no way. Still, was she going to have to sleep next to him? Remembering that he'd just been asleep _on_ her only a few minutes ago, she decided that she could just about deal with that.

Gabriel passed the doorway, he was strolling the landing while brushing his teeth. Ceasing her opportunity Claire chirped up, "Hey…hi...yeah..." she was suddenly uneasy, feeling like a guest in someone else's house,"…do I have some err, pajamas around here, a nightshirt something like that?" she asked heading to the wardrobe. Gabriel had already made his way back to the bathroom but hollered out a garbled reply.

"Errr…yeah you're not really a big PJ wearer here in the future Babe. I did buy you something akin to a night dress last valentine's day but you hated it…you said you didn't but you definitely did, and I don't know what you did with it, but I'm pretty sure you'd not want to wear it if I could find it…"

Claire shook her head exasperated_, When did he get so damn normal? How are you supposed to spot the crazy ones when they're so good at ,"normal"? Jesus!_

Letting Gabriel get on with his story about how the woman in the shop assured him that the valentines night dress _was _the right size, she rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled on an tatty flannel check shirt that she found on Gabriel's side. She had just finished slipping off her jeans and t-shirt from underneath it when Gabriel bounded into the room wearing only a pair of grey pajama pants and launched himself on the bed, laying on his front. He dug his arms under the pillow that he rested his head on, the masses of chocolate brown hair on his head more chaotic than ever.

She found herself more than a little awestruck, she could practically feel the hormones coursing through her as her eyes hungrily took in the sight of him; he was nothing short of gorgeous. She'd seen guys before, not many but enough. Enough to know that they were all just _boys_ and Gabriel was a _man!_ He was slender but not skinny with broad defined shoulders and his skin tone was lighter than hers but perfectly even with intermittent patches of dusky hair on his well toned torso.

Gabriel interrupted her lament by using his telekinesis to launch a scatter cushion directly at her head, hitting her with stealth like precision, ruffling her hair in a comedy fashion, "Did Sandra never teach you that it's rude to stare Claire?"

She shot him her best shit-eating grin, she would curse herself later for not thinking up a witty retort but mentally she was still stuck on that tantalizing bit of hair that lead down from his navel to the waist band of his pants.

"Would you get in bed already, I'm not going to bite you!" he pouted, climbing under the covers himself.

"Sorry…" Claire gingerly crept beneath the covers to lie beside him, just like in the cheap motel room a few days before they weren't touching but she could feel the warmth radiating off of him. To her surprise it didn't feel at all unpleasant, she would have been drawn to it were her inner monologue not screaming,"_You're in bed with Sylar_!"

"…it's just strange you know? So what do we do now? Are we just going to go to sleep like everything's normal?" she asked, pulling the covers up to her chin and staring at the ceiling.

Before he even began his answer Gabriel clicked off the light switch with his mind plunging the room in to darkness and making Claire visibly jump beside him.

"Unless you have any better ideas, yup that's the plan!" his nonchalance was starting to drive Claire crazy, why was he so cool with everything? She felt like everything she had ever taken as a fact was now being questioned, up was down, right was wrong and none of the pieces fitted together. Her chest felt tight and a sweat broke out on her brow as she stared up into the darkness of the unfamiliar bedroom.

"Claire…" Gabriel's voice rumbled beside her in to the night,"…you're about 3 minutes from completely freaking out aren't you?" the way he said the words offered her some kind of relief, she longed for someone, for anyone to take charge of this bizarre situation, she'd had had just about enough of being strong for one day.

She managed a short, rather weak sounding,"yeah" in response.

In an action that told her he knew exactly what he was doing and that he had done it many times before he reached over and dragged her close to him, he was so strong that she couldn't have stopped him even if she had wanted to. His arms encased her and all at once she was pressed against his warm body, her face against the chest she had been admiring moments earlier. One large hand swiped her hair back from her face and he placed a few not so delicate kisses on her head.

Feeling her breathing even out and panic dying down she allowed herself to snuggle in to his embrace. _How had he known just what to do, even when she didn't?_ The way he was holding her was so comfortable; it was as if they were literally made to fit together. Threading his fingers through her hair he brought his lips to her ear, "Better now?" the whisper against her earlobe caused her to wrap her free arm around his waist and cling to him as though her life depended on it. She managed to sigh out the word,"much." before drifting off to sleep.

**NOTE: Hey Guys! Poor old Gabe, no action again huh? That will all be rectified in the next chapter, I assure you! Thank you all for continuing to read the story and for being so generous with your reviews. You're awesome!**


	16. Chapter 16

"So…wanna let me make it up to you?"

Giving Claire's wondering hands a pensive stare, he took a hold of the roaming digits raising them to eye level. He unleashed a devilish foreboding smile. Claire hadn't seen that particular brand of smugness in quite some time. "You know Claire, I think you can..."

**Claire and Gabriel 2019**

Claire felt the gentle brush of steady breath on the back of her neck paired with the pull of incredibly strong arms around her waist, instead of pulling away she nestled back into them, smiling sleepily and feeling surprisingly peaceful. Her contentment was short lived however; as she was rudely awaken by the lights flickering on and the loud obnoxious clap of someone's hands in the corner of the room by the door.

****Clap Clap****there it was again...

"Oh don't you two look _adorable_!" a familiar and ever so bitterly sarcastic drone rang out, dragging Claire from the last grasps of sleep.

"Gabriel?" she raised her head from the pillow scanning the room with one eye closed, her vision still blurry, "Gabe...?" she knew the voice that she had heard, she knew it so well but Gabriel was still sleeping soundly beside her? It didn't make sense.

"Yeah you guessed it sleepy head! Party's over, time to go home! Let's go!" there he was, stepping out of the doorway, it was Gabriel; _her _Gabriel, not the updated, more sophisticated model that was still peacefully snoozing away next to her.

"What...wha?" She mumbled struggling to come around and make sense of the scene playing out before her. She knew he was impulsive but it was what...2am? Why had he chosen _now_ to come back for her? And why was he so damn eager?

"Come on, up and at 'em" he clapped his hands again.

"Ok! I heard you the first time..." she snapped, finally managing to free herself a little from the arms she had grown rather accustomed to. She sat herself up in bed,"...why now? Would it have killed you to wait until morning?"

With that, future Claire stepped out of the shadows behind Gabriel. "I know! I said the exact same thing, but he wouldn't listen, nope gotta go home right now! And does he even care that we have a six year old asleep down the hall, who needs to be up for school? No, not at all!" Claire felt her shoulders drop at that voice. O_h this just gets better._

Clasping his hands together and breathing deeply as though holding himself back from saying something highly offensive, Gabriel exhaled sharply,"You'll be glad to know I have come to my senses. This was a terrible idea and quite frankly I can't believe I let you talk me in to it."

"WHAT?" both Claire's shrieked in unison, making Gabriel flinch in visible irritation and waking his future self in the process.

"You left me here? Have you forgotten that?" Claire looked up with fierce eyes as she pulled up the sleeve of Gabriel's flannel shirt to cover her naked shoulder.

Holding his hands up as if to fight the oncoming storm Gabriel pleaded impatiently, "Please Claire, we have the rest of eternity to argue the whys and wherefores...get your jeans on, I'm taking you home." Noticing future Gabriel's arm still draped over Claire's lap he quickly swiped it away with his telekinesis, "Hey Romeo, care to get off my girl?"

Unfazed by the bizarre action, future Gabriel merely chuckled wiping the sleep from his eyes, "Jeeze, _how_ many issues?" his words were sly as he grinned up at his wife who had now made her way across the room to perch on the bed next to him, flashing her eyes knowingly she mouthed the words, "Tell me about it" down at him.

With a great huff Claire grimaced as she pulled on her jeans under the borrowed shirt, "For one thing, I'm not _your girl! _What the hell has gotten into you anyway?"

Not missing a beat, he pursed his lips in annoyance, "Well Claire, it seems I could ask you the same thing!" he punctuated this statement with a menacing glare towards his future self.

Without a bye or leave the moment Claire was decent Gabriel slapped his hand on her shoulder and teleported them back to his apartment in 2011.

**Claire and Gabriel 2011 **

The very moment they arrived back in Gabriel and Peters apartment Claire set into him, "You didn't even let me get my shoes God damn it? How the hell am I supposed to drive home with no shoes?"

Following him as he stormed to the kitchen counter to retrieve his car keys, Claire caught the tail end of a sly dig about those not being the only things she had left in the future…

"Come on, I'll drive you back. You can get your car in the morning" he stated coldly, pushing past her to head out to the parking lot.

Claire sat in the passenger seat; wrapping herself up in the flannel shirt noting that future Gabriel's scent was still lingering on it. She was pretty much past denying that it smelt amazingly good. Daring a glance over to her left, she noted that Gabriel 1.0 was gripping on to the steering wheel like a man possessed and displaying an abnormal amount of road rage…even for him.

"Ok! Ok…I'll bite. What is wrong? Something's happened? You're angry. What is it?" Claire turned her body in her seat to face him.

To this she received nothing but a growl and the slight panic of Gabriel running a red light, thankfully given the time of night there weren't many cars on the road.

"The silent treatment, really? What the hell did I do?" her voice was probing, she hated to cave in to his attention seeking but her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her.

Still, Gabriel remained silent. _Man this guy could sulk!_

"You'll not keep the _silent and brooding_ act up for long…in the future you never stop talking, yap yap yap all through dinner. I couldn't get a word in." she gazed out of the window, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Oh _good_ for him!" finally he broke his vow of silence. It was a small victory but Claire was pleased none the less.

"Did future me scare you off? She chewed your ear so much you've decided that eternity with me isn't such a good idea after all?" Claire couldn't hide the mirth in her voice.

In an effort to get his own back Gabriel scoffed suggestively, "No, not at all! Future you was very…welcoming."

All joviality drained from Claires pretty face in an instant,"Welcoming? What, like tea and cookies welcoming…_or_ what?" she searched his face for the answer she already knew.

He creased as he savored her concern,"I wouldn't put it quite like that no. Future you is quite the firecracker!" He confirmed her fears with a smirk dabbling on his lips.

Claire's stomach was in her throat; suddenly she envied the rest of the world's ability to vomit, "YOU DID WHAT?" her words coincided perfectly with the moment that she reached down to pull on the handbrake causing both of them to smack the window screen at full pelt and face first.

"Claire have you lost your f**king mind?" Gabriel yelled, running his fingers through his hair to pull it back from his face. Looking over at her he actually felt an emotion that he had long since buried; fear. She was a sight to behold; sporting the cutest case of, "bedhead" he had ever seen she was now crimson red, partly from their recent collision with the window screen but mostly with what looked to be searing rage.

"ME? I've lost my mind? You went to the future and bedded me before you even had chance to get to know me you bastard! Do you have any idea what a violation that is? What, you weren't content with raping my brain you had to get me in the sack as well?"

That was it; his back was well and truly up, she was still going on about the brain rape thing…_was she EVER going to let that drop?_

"Oh what so you're telling me you didn't just lose your virginity to "_chatty Gabe_" last night?" he questioned, absolutely sure that he knew the answer.

"Are you kidding? NO! No I did not! He knew I wasn't _his_ Claire, he just comforted me when I started freaking out, that's all. He was a perfect gentleman actually! Which is amazing considering he started out life as YOU!" she turned herself away from him in her seat and folded her arms around herself in an attempt to self comfort. Had she been wearing the appropriate footwear…or indeed any footwear she would have gotten out of the car and walked the last mile or so home.

"Really, you didn't?" Gabriel reached out a hand to rest gently on her shoulder, but she quickly shrugged him away.

"Really" She assured, with the telltale sound of impending tears in her voice.

Somehow she'd just made him feel like the world's biggest jerk, he wouldn't normally have cared, he had gotten pretty damn good at not giving a rats ass about what other people thought. But this was Claire, _his_ Claire. And now she was sat in his car, staring out of the window doing a pretty piss poor job of hiding the fact that she was crying.

"It wasn't this time; it was the time before when Pete left me there. She thought I was her husband, I…I… kinda had to" he stuttered his words trying to explain himself, the guilt beginning to crush him.

"Oh please! Have you never heard of, _"I have a headache!_" she sobbed. He didn't have the heart to point out that neither one of them could actually get headaches and therefore that would have been a pretty lame excuse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think…" yet again he reached out a hand to stroke her shoulder, maybe she was past caring but she didn't shrug him away,"…I didn't think that you'd be upset, I didn't think you'd ever even know, well not for another 8 years or so." Gabriel reasoned, just longing for her to stop crying. _What was this? Claire Bennett tears were his new kryptonite?_

Wiping her eyes, on what she reasoned was now her shirt she replied with a broken voice that ripped his heart in two,"Just take me home."

Seeing her like that, so disappointed in him caused him to blink back a few tears himself. Trying to compose himself he restarted the ignition. The silence in the car was heavy as they drove the last few miles and pulled up outside of the College dorms. The street was deserted save for a few drunken kids holding each other up making their way home.

Claire's eyes followed them up the street, "You know it's times like this I wish I could just go and get blind drunk with Gretch and Emma and whine about what an unimaginable asshole you are."

Taking on board her insult but not bothering to defend himself Gabriel drummed out a rhythm on the steering wheel with his fingers,"You know…I could make that happen?"

This revelation pricked Claire's attention, for the first time in half an hour she raised her mascara streaked face to look at him, "Huh?"

"I picked up this ability from some guy in DC…" knowing what _picked up_ meant still sent a shiver through Claire,"…he didn't even know he had it, or how to control it but he could switch other peoples powers off. Ironically…" Gabriel had to stop himself pointing out that if he _had_ known how to use his ability it would have probably saved his life. However given Claire's fragile state of mind, he figured now was the point to shut the hell up. "…I'd have to be there of course, I can't do it remotely."

She narrowed her eyes, rolling around Gabriel's offer in her head, she couldn't fathom why she was so pissed at him for sleeping with her future self, all she knew was that she really _really_ was. If she didn't know better she would describe the feeling as betrayal…maybe even jealousy. She knew she ought to get out of the car and tell him she never wanted to see him again, but "_never_" for Claire Bennett was one hell of a long time. And she was curious about what it would feel like to be drunk…inebriated…tipsy. She had seen it happen to her friends at house parties and it kinda looked like fun.

Gabriel leaned closer to her slightly, and playfully added,"…and we can talk about what an unimaginable asshole I am if you want."

Begrudgingly she let slip a tiny smile that told him she would take him up on his offer. As she stepped out of his car she turned back to call through the window,"Pick me up tomorrow at 7."

Nodding in compliance Gabriel started the car,"It's a date!"

He had to chuckle as she backed away, her bare feet no doubt being ravaged by the gravelly sidewalk, she pointed a finger straight at him and mouthed the words, "No it's not!"

**Hey Guys!**

**Ok…major change of plan! I feel I ought to say a special thank you to Smithsbabe65,Ivy83 and Scifigeek10 for convincing me to take the higher ground with this one and not let future Gabe have his (not so)wicked way with Claire haha! Thank you all for continuing to read and review, you're all so sweet and supportive. Chapter 17 should be up soon :-)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

A year ago, if you had told Claire Bennett that she would be sat in some sleazy ass bar doing tequila shots with _Sylar_ she would have laughed until he sides split, and then most probably got up and punched you in the nose for suggesting such a thing. But, here she was, a little worse for wear sat beside her own personal boogieman, who as it happened, was also showing signs of inebriation. He was intently lining up beer mats neatly in order of colour, size and shape on the sticky table in front of him.

Just for the hell of it Claire reached across and pushed one of the beer mats out of line, messing up his sequence, revelling in the the look of dismay on his face as she did it. Playfully Gabriel swatted away her hand. "You are so OCD..." she exclaimed, noting that her voice was getting just a little bit slurred,"...you should be careful, I think you end up passing that on to Noah, I saw him colour coordinating his Hot Wheels cars the other day."

Turning his attention away from his beer mats momentarily Gabriel shot her a goofy smile, whether she admitted it or not, she was already attached to Noah and that couldn't be anything but a good sign.

"So, what's wrong with that? How many neat and tidy 6 year olds do you know? You should be glad!" he reasoned, returning his attention to levelling up the mats.

"Exactly, little boys should be messy, they should be all rough and tumble and come home covered in mud!" her voice was perhaps a bit too loud as she scooted closer to him on the bench they were sat on.

They were now side by side, shoulder to shoulder and Claire's hand was hovering with menace aforethought over his beer mats, "You've seen him with your own eyes Claire, would you change him?" Gabriel asked.

Looking down into her lap, in a vain attempt to hide the sentimental expression that swept over her face Claire paused for a moment, "No...not one bit."

Finally dragging himself away from the task he had set himself, Gabriel began setting up another round of shots. He did this as methodically as he seemed to do everything else, lining up the shot glasses, setting out the lime and salt neatly on a napkin before them. Handing Claire a glass of the fiery liquid he dared to add, "You have to admit Claire, despite any misgivings you may have had..." he raised an eyebrow in her direction, and signalled for them to down the shot, which they did,"...we do seem to make cute kids!"

Creasing her features as the tequila made a warm path down her throat to her belly; Claire reached out for the salt and lime. At the same time mentally making sense of what Gabriel had just said. Now, sober Claire might have held back, she would have changed the subject or gone to the rest room so as to leave him hanging. However; tipsy Claire longed to bask in just how adorable her future son was, and the only person that she could possibly do that with was sat right next to her. She could allow herself this one indiscretion couldn't she? Just this once?

Much to Gabriel's relief her eyes illuminated,"I know! I was thinking earlier, everyone always thinks that their kid is the cutest right? But..." Claire paused for dramatic effect,"... I think ours actually is! "

He bit his lip to stifle his laughter; it wasn't that he didn't agree with her, he absolutely did. It was just that she was so serious about it; it was a relief to him that she had clearly fallen in love with the little guy just as much as he had.

"Hey!" she smacked the back of her hand against his arm, a gesture that he noted was more one of affection than annoyance,"Don't laugh at me, I'm being serious. I was in the store earlier and I was just thinking, _sure these kids are cute but they're not as cute as my kid...no way_!" It took all of his considerable will power not to pull her into a hug right there, she was so damn cute, wittering away about Noah, all rosy cheeked. Instead he giggled, the sound being altogether more girly than he had intended, it seemed that the tequila had gotten to him too. Claire chuckled in return, just laughing at his laughter.

Getting up to go to the rest room, Gabriel left Claire on her own at the booth they were seated in. He'd not been gone 30 seconds before some jock type who introduced himself as,"Mac" slid in the seat opposite her, encouraged by his catcalling friends sitting across the other side of the bar,"Hey Sweetness, can I get you a drink?" he cooed across at her, his eyes lingering a little too long on the exposed skin of her neck and chest.

Tensing up at his attentions, Claire sat back in her seat,"Oh, I'm fine thanks. I'm gonna wait for my..." before she could finish Mac gestured to where Gabriel had been sitting,"That dude you're with? Don't ya think he's a little old to be your boyfriend? My friends over there were wondering if he was your Dad?" Claire crossed her arms across her chest, irritated by the jocks presumptuousness. _Who the hell does this guy think he is?_

With a satisfied flick of her hair she tried her best not to slur her words,"Actually _Mac_ he's not my boyfriend, and he certainly isn't my Dad..." the boy was momentarily pleased at the news, a drunken smirk crossing his boyish features,"...he's my husband. And you don't want to piss him off; you'd not like him when he's angry." In her drunken fuzziness Claire wondered where she'd heard that saying before...it sounded kinda cool.

His pride perhaps a little bruised Mac scoffed, "Who is this guy, Bruce Banner?" he slung one arm lazily across the back of his seat in a cocky gesture. At that instant Gabriel returned. To his surprise as soon as his butt hit the bench Claire reached over and grabbed a hold of his hand, intertwining their fingers. Before he knew it she was sliding over to close the gap between them, any closer and she would have been on his lap! His powers of deduction being what they were, it didn't take him long to figure out that the frat kid sat opposite them was trying to hit on Claire. _That just wouldn't do._

Doing his best,"Ned Flanders" impression Gabriel unleashed a saccharine grin in Mac's direction,"So Claire, are you going to introduce me to your new _friend_?"

Feeling daring, Claire played along, in her sweetest, most sarcastic tone she looked up at Gabriel wide eyed,"This is Mac..." with her free hand Claire twirled a lock of blonde hair into a ringlet,"...he came over to say hi, can you believe that his friends thought you were my Dad!"

Not appreciating one bit who he was messing with, Mac shrugged his shoulders,"You must get that a lot right?"

"Funnily enough Mac...No" Gabriel did his best not to sound irked, but his menacing glare gave him away.

"Well, I just hope I can bag myself a hot young wife like yours when I'm your age!" Claire felt Macs grubby fingers reach out and stroke her knee under the table as the words left his mouth. Gabriel was still processing Mac's backhanded compliment, the alcohol delaying his reactions slightly; _did he just refer to Claire as his wife?_

Before he could capitalise on that little revelation Claire had flown into a tirade, "Keep your creepy paws to yourself asshole! Who the hell do you think you are? Do you seriously think you can come over here and hit on me in front of my husband and then start throwing insults about?"

Claire stood to lean over the table, pointing her finger in Mac's now whitened face; she was still barely taller than Gabriel even though he was sitting beside her, but what she lacked in height she clearly made up for in determination. Something told him he ought to be taking charge of the situation, defend her honour or something like that, but from where he was sat it rather felt like she was defending his. She took a fist full of Mac's college jersey, pulling him up with strength she never even knew she had,"Now get your ass back over there with your greasy prepubescent friends and leave us the hell alone!"

Clearly humiliated at being torn a new one by the smallest, and not to mention most attractive girl in the joint, Mac quickly made his exit back to the sanctuary of his friends. Claire sat back in her seat with an audible huff, the adrenaline still coursing through her. Gabriel let his eyes drink in the sight, her chest heaving as she attempted to contain her anger and regain her breath, "What?" the word came out more aggressive than she had meant it too and Gabriel blinked his eyes away in a gesture that was a little more, "_Gabriel Grey_ " than he would have liked. Peering up at her with a hungry look, his lips twisted in to a smile,"Damn it Claire, you're hot when you're angry!"

In an instant all the tension in Claire's body dispelled and she let slip a raucous laugh, slapping a hand over her eyes, she peaked at Gabriel between her fingers,"And _you_ are cheesy when you are drunk!"

"I am not drunk!" he protested in a voice that betrayed his statement.

"In that case, you'd better rack 'em up" Claire instructed, gesturing over to the waning bottle of tequila.

They remained in the dingy, dimly lit bar for another few hours, Claire couldn't recall the last time she had talked so openly and honestly with anyone. She didn't have to be,"Claire Bennett the paper sales mans daughter" with him, she could just be herself, and maybe it was the tequila...but he was a good listener. He didn't act shocked or discussed the way that Gretchen always did when she relayed the events of the last few years. Occasionally Gabriel would let something slip about his childhood and she began to see how he had become _Sylar_ in the first place.

She didn't know why, but it made her sad that he looked so disappointed when he had asked her why she had referred to him as her husband earlier on in the evening; she had made the excuse that she thought it would put Mac off. The way his attention had shot right back down to those damn beer mats made her feel wretched inside.

Every so often she would try and remind herself of who he was and what he had done to her but with each sip of her drink she found that it mattered to her less and less. She tried to see the monster, but the more she looked the more all she saw the beautiful expressive eyes that always gave him away no matter what he was trying to conceal, and the painfully shy smile that she drew from him every time she referred to him with his real name rather than _Sylar._ She wanted to see that smile more, a lot more.

Gabriel didn't know what time it was but it was late, they were the only two left in the place and the barkeep was starting to look decisively pissed, glancing over at them every five minutes and shaking his head. "Come on Babydoll, time to go home! " He stood to pull on his coat and to hand Claire hers. "Do we have to go now? This is nice..."she whined patting his empty seat beckoning him to sit back down,"...we're having fun!"

Holding out her coat for her like a true gent, he insisted that they leave. Claire pouted but moved to get up all the same, only to find that her legs would not comply with what she was telling them to do.

Luckily Gabriel's reactions were fast enough to catch her, "Whoa there, Jesus Claire!" his arms instinctively wrapped around her, somehow this was not how he had envisaged her falling into his arms.

Funnily enough none of the cabs that passed them wanted to stop for a drunken teenager accompanied by an older, slightly menacing looking man, so they proceeded to walk home. The fresh air seemed to rejuvenate Claire slightly but she still clung on to his side, pulling one of his well toned arms over her shoulder and wrapping one of hers around his waist. They both told themselves that they were walking like that purely for the purpose of staying up right, but neither one of them really believed it.

The trip up the stairs to Claire's dorm room was wobbly to say the least; this was not helped by the fact that every 5 or so steps Claire had to stop to have a giggling fit. This should have been annoying, but instead he found himself laughing along at every stupid mispronounced word and holding on to her tighter than was strictly necessary. Finally they reached her room, where Claire promptly assured him that Gretchen was out of town for the weekend. Stepping inside she flopped limply on to her single bed sprawling herself out, leaving minimal room for Gabriel sit beside her.

She looked up at him with huge green eyes, her golden hair fanned out on her pillow. Of all the things he expected her to say at that moment he wasn't anticipating that particular one, "Stay?"

When he didn't answer she asked again, "Stay, tonight...with me?" she bit her lip impatient for his reply.

Twice in two days he had resisted Claire Bennett, the object of all his affections and obsessions. _He deserved a frickin' medal for what he was about to do._

Reaching out to stroke his thumb over her cheek bone, he sighed hard trying to expel his frustration,"I can't do that Babe, you're drunk, and what's more I got you drunk. It wouldn't be right."

Feeling stupid and rejected Claire felt her bottom lip tremble her eyes searching his face,"Since when do you care about what's right?"

The jibe that Claire had made without thought punched him right in the gut, "Since Peter hijacked me in my sleep and took me to the future to see _us_. That's when I started caring about what's right..." Claire was taken aback by the sincerity she saw in his eyes,"...can't you see that you matter so much more t me than a drunken fumble after a bottle of tequila? You matter to me more than anything" That last statement left him feeling utterly exposed, he'd never really been one for putting himself out there. His fears were quickly allayed as Claire took a hold of his hand in both of hers,"Just stay with me for a while...please?"

Making a pact with himself to leave long before morning, he kicked off his shoes and squeezed himself on to the ill-fitting bed besides her. With clumsy hands she reached over and pulled his arms around her until he was holding her the way future Gabriel had the night before. He took the opportunity to nuzzle his face in to her hair and neck, breathing in the scent of her. Not bothering to open her eyes Claire stoked her finger tips over the dark wispy hair that covered the back of his hand,"Gabriel?"

"Hmm" he responded tightening his hold around her middle.

"Wanna know why I really introduced you as my husband to that douche bag tonight?"

Words failing him he managed another, "Hmm"

"Because it felt right"

**Ola! So there you have it, I hope you enjoy reading drunken Claire as much as I enjoyed writing her. Thanks so much for all the reviews, you guys really are helping shape the way the story is going. I really do appreciate your input guys. xx**


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